Analyzing the Innate Immunity of NIH Hairless Mice and the Impact of Gut Microbial Polymorphisms on Listeria Monocytogenes Infection

The study analyzed the innate immunity of hairless (HL) mice and the impact of gut microbial polymorphisms on infection with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. It was found that HL mice were more susceptible to the infection compared to NIH mice, showing more severe weight loss, mortality, bacterial load, and histopathological lesions, potentially due to a decrease in monocytes. Co-housing reduced spleen damage, suggesting that host-guided gut microbiota can alleviate infection. Differences in gut microbiota composition were observed, with infection increasing certain bacteria and decreasing others, notably a reduction in Clostridiales in HL mice, which may exacerbate infection. The presence of the Mycoplasma genus only in HL mice was identified as a potential biomarker. This research enhanced the understanding of using HL mice as a model for studying innate immune dysfunction.