title: Exposure to soil, house dust and decaying plants increases gut microbial diversity and decreases serum immunoglobulin E levels in BALB/c mice.
abstract: To assess the impact of sanitation of a living environment on gut microbiota and development of the immune system, we raised BALB/c mice under three distinct environmental conditions: a specific pathogen-free animal room (SPF), a general animal room (XZ) and a farmhouse (JD). All other variables like diet, age, genetic background, physiological status and original gut microbiota were controlled for in the three groups. Using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, we found that each mouse group had a specific structure of the gut microbial community. Groups JD and XZ harboured a significantly more diverse and richer gut microbiota than did group SPF. Bacteroidetes were significantly more abundant in groups XZ and JD than in group SPF, whereas Firmicutes showed the inverse pattern. Total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were significantly lower in groups XZ and JD than in group SPF. There were no significant differences in gut microbiota diversity and serum IgE concentration between groups JD and XZ, but we found higher abundance of dominant genera in the gut microflora of group JD. We conclude that exposure to soil, house dust and decaying plant material enhances gut microbial diversity and innate immunity. Our results seem to provide new evidence supporting the hygiene hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Sciences, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.|Suzhou Research Institute of Southeast University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
authors.forename: Dongrui
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.|College of Food Science, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing, 211171, China.
authors.forename: Honglin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
authors.forename: Zhimao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Sciences, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
authors.forename: Aidi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
authors.forename: Futian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
authors.forename: Beili
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Sciences, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Center for Diagnostic Nanosystems, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, 25755, USA.|School of Pharmacy, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, 25755, USA.
authors.forename: Cuifen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoniu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
authors.forename: Zuhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D041963:Bacteroidetes / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D044822:Biodiversity; D004391:Dust; D005260:Female; D000068536:Bacillota / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010944:Plants; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012987:Soil; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012987:Soil; D007073:Immunoglobulin E