Intestinal Microbiome in Response to Air Pollutant Exposure in Pregestational and Gestational Murine Females and their Offspring

This study aimed to examine the impact of intranasal exposure to air pollutants during eight weeks of preconception, periconception, and gestation (days 0 to 18) on the intestinal microbial composition, diversity, and metagenomically inferred functional pathways. The investigation focused on adult female mice during pregestational and late gestational periods (G19), as well as male and female postnatal suckling offspring (PN21), comparing the results with age- and sex-matched control groups (CON). Overall design: 16S rDNA microbiota profiling was conducted using fecal samples collected from non-pregnant, age-matched females, GD19 pregnant mothers, and male and female PN21 pups just prior to weaning.