Antibiotic treatment of pregnant non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice leads to altered gut microbiota and intestinal immunological changes in the offspring.
The intestinal microbiota is important for tolerance induction through mucosal immunological responses. The composition of the gut microbiota of an infant is affected by environmental factors like diet, disease and antibiotic treatment. However, already in utero these environmental factors can affect the immunological development of the fetus and influence the future gut microbiota of the infant.