Effect of antibiotics on immune cell composition of WT vs. mutant mice

Effect of antibiotics on immune cell composition of WT vs. mutant mice

The human gut microbiome, microorganisms primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, plays a critical role in human health. Dialogue between the immune system and our microflora maintains immune homeostasis and detects changes in the normal flora. Antibiotics (ABX) can alter one’s microbiome by depleting beneficial bacteria and leaving room for harmful bacteria to expand. Based on immune cell interactions with the microbiome, we were curious as to the impact of antibiotics on immune cell subsets, and the specific mechanism in which this takes place. The effects of three different, broad-spectrum antibiotics were tested in these experiments: ampicillin, neomycin, and vancomycin. Wild-type (WT) and toll-like receptor 4 knockout (TLR4KO) mice were compared as the latter lack a critical receptor for detecting bacterial invaders. The aim of this study is to better understand how interactions between mice lacking TLR4 and the addition of antibiotics influence the dialogue between the microbiome and our immune system. Flow cytometry of peritoneal lymphocyte subsets, due to their proximity to the greatest collection of microflora in the intestinal tract, were assessed.

Doran, Madison

Rider University

Opperman, Kerry,
Riggs, James

Baccalaureate Honors Program

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English

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