The study demonstrates that intestinal defenses against group B coxsackievirus in mice mature between 14 and 18 days of life, coinciding with weaning.
Intestinal maturation timing in mice informs models of neonatal viral susceptibility; leaves open translation to human infants.
The intestinal tract of adult mice provides effective protection against peroral infection with group B coxsackievirus. This protective function consists of at least two separate components. One is a barrier effect that prevents virus from passing through the mucosal side of the gut into the circulation. It becomes clearly evident at 18 days of life and is present thereafter. The other is a clearance mechanism that acts to eliminate virus from the enteric tract after infection has occurred. This is first demonstrable at about 14 to 18 days and also persists. The appearance of these protective functions coincides with the known development of enzymatic and morphological changes in the gut associated with the transition from suckling to weanling.
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Loria et al. (1976) studied this question.
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