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Father’s gut microbes affect the next generat - EurekAlert
<p>Researchers from the Hackett group at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Rome in collaboration with the Bork and the Zimmermann groups at EMBL Heidelberg changed the composition of the gut microbiota in male mice through common antibiotics, inducing a condition called dysbiosis, and found that:</p> <p>- Mouse pups sired by a dysbiotic father show significantly lower birth weight, and have increased risk of growth disorders and postnatal mortality. </p> <p>- Dysbiosis affects hormonal signaling and metabolites of mice testes, suggesting the existence of a ‘gut-germline axis’.</p> <p>- Intergenerational transmission occurs through the sperm of dysbiotic fathers triggering placental abnormalities, leading to a pregnancy-associated condition with hallmarks of pre-eclampsia.</p> <p>- The impact of paternal dysbiosis on offspring disease risk is reversible by restoring a healthy microbiome in fathers prior to conception.</p> <p>- Further studies are needed to determine whether and how the study results also apply to humans.</p>
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