Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39562735›Full record

ArticlePediatric research2025

Multi-strain probiotic administration decreases necrotizing enterocolitis severity and alters the epigenetic profile in mice.

Daphne H Klerk, Hannah Moore, Daniel J Scheese, Cody Tragesser, Zachariah Raouf, Johannes W Duess, Koichi Tsuboi, Maame E Sampah, Carla M Lopez, Sierra Williams-McLeod and 8 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Necrotizing enterocolitis.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Daphne H KlerkDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Hannah MooreDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Daniel J ScheeseDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Cody TragesserDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Zachariah RaoufDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Johannes W DuessDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Koichi TsuboiDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Maame E SampahDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Carla M LopezDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Sierra Williams-McLeodDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Mahmoud G El BaassiriDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Hee-Seong JangDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Thomas PrindleDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Sanxia WangDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Menghan WangDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
William B FultonDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Chhinder P SodhiDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. csodhi@jhmi.edu.
David J HackamDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. dhackam1@jhmi.edu.

Funding

Molecular and metabolic signaling in necrotizing enterocolitisR35GM141956 · NIGMS · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI HACKAM, DAVID J · 2021 to 2025
$2.3M
NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM141956
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundProbiotic administration may decrease the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) through mechanisms that are largely unknown. We investigated the effects of probiotics on intestinal epigenetics and assessed their effects on intestinal inflammation and motility using both ileum-predominant and combined ileo-colitis mouse NEC models.

methodsC57BL/6 J mice were gavage-fed a multi-strain probiotic from postnatal days 3-11, consisting of B. infantis, B. lactis, and S. thermophilus. From p8, mice were exposed to ileo-colitis NEC involving formula containing NEC bacteria and 0.5% DSS. DNA methylation was measured using the Infinium Methylation Assay. Gastrointestinal motility was assessed by 70 Kd FITC-dextran transit time. Probiotic colonization was measured in probiotic-fed mice by qPCR.

resultsProbiotic administration caused significant changes in the small intestine's epigenetic signature, a reduction in NEC severity, and improved intestinal motility. The effects of probiotics were more pronounced in the ileo-colitis NEC model.

conclusionsThese findings shed light on the role of probiotics in two clinically relevant models of NEC, add additional insights into their underlying mechanism of action, and reveal unanticipated epigenetic modifications to the intestinal mucosa after their use. IMPACT: These findings shed light on the role of multi-strain probiotics in two clinically relevant animal models of NEC, and add additional insights into their underlying mechanism of action This study provides a new, clinically relevant model for the study of NEC including administration of 0.5% DSS, to include ileal dominant and ileo-colonic dominant phenotypes of the disease. These results reveal that clinically relevant strains of probiotic bacteria can exert epigenetic effects on the small intestine in mice, and can attenuate the epigenetic changes induced by NEC.

Indexed as

Enterocolitis, NecrotizingEpigenesis, GeneticProbioticsAnimalsDisease Models, AnimalDNA MethylationGastrointestinal MicrobiomeGastrointestinal MotilityIleumIntestinal MucosaMiceMice, Inbred C57BLSeverity of Illness IndexStreptococcus thermophilus

Identifiers

PMID39562735

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.