Early-life maternal probiotic supplementation programs sex- and region-specific gene expression in the adult offspring brain.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The maternal perinatal environment shapes brain development and long-term neurodevelopmental trajectories. Probiotic supplementation during this period has emerged as a promising strategy to support healthy neurodevelopmental outcomes through modulation of immune and synaptic plasticity pathways. However, the persistence and specificity of molecular effects in the offspring brain, particularly with respect to sex and brain region, remain poorly understood.

Methods

We conducted two independent mouse experiments using different probiotic strains and exposure windows to evaluate the long-term transcriptional effects of maternal probiotic supplementation. Time-mated C57BL/6JRj dams received a multi-species probiotic (Ecologic® Panda) from gestational day (GD) 6 until

SUBMITTER: Siegler Lathrop T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12906190 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature