AUTHOR=Yang Sen , He Jing , Shi Jing , Xie Liang , Liu Yang , Xiong Ying , Liu Hanmin 

TITLE=Characteristics of intestinal microbiota in preterm infants and the effects of probiotic supplementation on the microbiota

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1339422

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2024.1339422

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Objective</title><p>In this study, we investigated the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota of preterm infants, and then analyzed the effects of probiotics supplementation on intestinal microbiota in preterm infants.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>This study enrolled 64 infants born between 26 and 32 weeks gestational age (GA) and 22 full-term infants. 34 premature infants received oral probiotic supplementation for 28 days. Stool samples were obtained on the first day (D1) and the 28th day (D28) after birth for each infant. Total bacterial DNA was extracted and sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq Sequencing System, specifically targeting the V3-V4 hyper-variable regions of the 16S rDNA gene. The sequencing results were then used to compare and analyze the composition and diversity index of the intestinal microbiota.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>There was no significant difference in meconium bacterial colonization rate between premature and full-term infants after birth (<italic>p</italic> &gt; 0.05). At D1, the relative abundance of <italic>Bifidobacterium</italic>, <italic>Bacteroides,</italic> and <italic>Lactobacillus</italic> in the stool of preterm infants was lower than that of full-term infants, and the relative abundance of <italic>Acinetobacter</italic> was higher than that of full-term infants. The Shannon index and Chao1 index of intestinal microbiota in preterm infants are lower than those in full-term infants (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). Supplementation of probiotics can increase the relative abundance of <italic>Enterococcus</italic> and <italic>Enterobacter</italic>, and reduce the relative abundance of <italic>Escherichia</italic> and <italic>Clostridium</italic> in premature infants. The Chao1 index of intestinal microbiota decreased in preterm infants after probiotic supplementation (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05).</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>The characteristics of intestinal microbiota in preterm infants differ from those in full-term infants. Probiotic supplementation can reduce the relative abundance of potential pathogenic bacteria and increase the abundance of beneficial microbiota in premature infants.</p></sec>