In pregnant women, intestinal barrier function changes
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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In a new experiment conducted on rodents, scientists were able to demonstrate that bacteria in the intestines of the expectant mother provoke a change in intestinal barrier function.
Earlier, experts believed that metabolic disturbances in the body of a pregnant woman were entirely associated with the corresponding hormonal changes. Now they were able to prove that changes within the intestines at the bacterial level also affect metabolic changes. This information allows you to review the physiological characteristics of the course of pregnancy, as well as, if necessary, make changes to the quality of a woman's microbiome.
The intestinal wall plays the role of a barrier that protects the bloodstream from the ingestion of bacterial flora and other substances. Scientists have noticed that in pregnant female rodents, a much larger number of molecules were able to penetrate this barrier. Penetration became even more active if rodents were asked to adhere to a high-fat diet: eating large amounts of fat caused an increase in the level of inflammatory markers in the circulatory system.
These changes in the maternal body could affect placental development, since the oxygen content in the placenta decreased against the background of a high-fat diet. Such placental disorders can lead to improper bowel function after the baby is born, and even cause metabolic disorders in the child's body.
Scientists recorded these changes when they fed female rodents with high-fat food for a month and a half before and during pregnancy. After that, experts evaluated how the microbial balance inside the intestine has changed. They measured the degree of intestinal barrier function, determining how many large molecular particles could penetrate from the intestines of the mother into the circulatory system. After that, the development of the placenta and the fetus was evaluated.
“At the moment, we want to determine at what point these changes occur and how bacteria are redistributed, by what mechanism the maternal metabolism changes and how it affects the development of the fetus,” comments one of the authors of the study, Deborah Sloboda.
The intestinal barrier is a highly specific immunological system that provides not only intestinal health, but also the quality of all immunity in the body. Any violation and even a change in barrier function can lead to metabolic disorders, causing the development of allergic processes, as well as other problems. The intestinal barrier is susceptible to the incessant attacks of various microbes, fungal infections, viruses, parasites and toxic substances coming from food and actively weakening the immune defense.
An article on this subject was published in The Journal of Physiology.