L Cauquil, M Beaumont, B Schmaltz-Panneau, L Liaubet, Y Lippi, C Naylies, L Bluy, M Poli, L Gress, C Lencina, V Duranthon, S Combes
Coprophagia by suckling rabbits, i.e. ingestion of feces from their mother, reduces mortality after weaning. We hypothesized that this beneficial effect of coprophagia is immune-mediated at the intestinal level. Therefore, this study investigated immune development after weaning by analyzing the ileal transcriptome at day 35 and 49 in rabbits with differential access to coprophagia in early life. Rabbit pups had access between day 1 and 15 to (i) no feces (NF) or (ii) feces from unrelated does (Foreign Feces, FF) or (iii) feces from unrelated does treated with antibiotics (FFab)...
April 17, 2024: Scientific Reports