A recent study published in Nature suggests that disruptions in the gut microbiota of male mice may affect the health of their offspring.
It is well known that environmental factors leading to imbalances in the gut microbiota ecosystem can shape the host's physiological and disease-related responses. However, the impact of paternal gut microbiota on offspring remains unclear.
To assess the effects of disrupted gut microbiota in male mice on their offspring, a research team at a European molecular biology laboratory injected male mice with antibiotics for 6 weeks, resulting in decreased microbial diversity and richness. The offspring of these mice were born with lower birth weight, severe growth restrictions, and a higher likelihood of premature death. The team suggests that this effect is linked to the male reproductive system's response to microbiota imbalance, including impaired hormone signaling and altered testicular metabolite profiles. This response may increase the risk of placental insufficiency. Restoring the disrupted paternal microbiota before conception can reduce the risk of adverse health outcomes in offspring. This finding indicates that the deteriorating health of offspring associated with paternal microbiota disruption is an epigenetic effect rather than a genetic one.
The team believes that the gut microbiota serves as a critical interface between the paternal preconception environment and offspring health in male mice. These findings underscore the importance of understanding how environmental factors influence complex biological systems.
