The relationship between infant feeding types, gut microbiome, intestinal inflammation, and neurodevelopment in a neonatal piglet model.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The influences of nutrition on the infant's developing gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome, intestinal tract, and brain is unclear. Human milk (HM) is associated with beneficial immune and cognitive development compared with infant formula (IF). This study used a neonatal piglet model to determine the effects of infant feeding exposures (HM vs IF) on the GI microbiome, intestinal inflammation, and brain oligodendrocyte maturation.

Methods

Six pairs of piglets received HM or IF for 28 days. Fecal samples were collected weekly and GI regions (jejunum, ileum, and colon) and brains were harvested at necropsy. Fecal microbiome composition was determined by 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) sequencing. Intestinal inflammation was assessed via quantification of intestinal interl

SUBMITTER: Sellmann H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12775721 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature