Fig. 3: Impact of antibiotic-induced microbiota alterations on placental immunity.

Placental NK cells of vancomycin-treated dams (filled symbols) show significant less IFN-ɣ production (representative flow cytometry dot plot and statistical summary graph, a, n = 6 experiments, p = 0.0022), lower NKG2D expression (n = 6 experiments, p = 0.0022), and higher TNF (n = 9 experiments, p < 0.0001) secretion compared to control group (open symbols) at ed14.5 (b). Vancomycin treatment (filled symbols) is associated with significant decrease of DBA⁺ uNK cell number in the decidua (green, c, d, n = 7 samples, p = 0.0010), and VEGF-C expression in the labyrinth area (red, e, f, n = 6 samples, p = 0.0385), compared to control pregnancies (open symbols) at ed14.5. Lines represent mean plus SEM, two-sided Mann Whitney t test (a, b), two-sided Unpaired t test (d–f), *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ****p < 0.0001. Magnification: 20X, DAPI (blue), CD31 (green, c–e). In a and b each measurement was taken from the placentas isolated from one single experiment, with all placentas from one dam combined into a single data point. In d and f different areas of the samples were analyzed; placentas were harvested from 3 different experiments. See also Supplementary Fig. 3, Supplementary Figs. 4 and  5. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.