Germ-free lungs of newborn mice are partially protected against hyperoxia

(University of Alabama at Birmingham) Researchers have used a novel and first-of-its-kind newborn mouse model to study the effect of high oxygen concentrations, or hyperoxia, on lung development of newborn mice that are germ-free -- meaning no microbes colonizing their lungs. Their goal is to learn how differences in the types of microbes that already colonize human lungs at birth -- including extremely premature infants -- can protect or make an infant more susceptible to life-threatening bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or BPD.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news