Role of intestinal microbes in body composition in germ-free, gnotobiotic and conventional mice.

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Abstract
To study the role of intestinal microbes in body composition and the effect of Staphylococcus epidermidis on body N accumulation in host mice, ICR strain male, germ-free (GF) mice, gnotobiotic (GB) mice, obtained from GF mice monocontaminated with Staphylococcus at 3 wk of age, and conventional (CV) mice were used. All mice were separated into 2 groups, 1 group was killed at 5 wk of age (B5) and the other group was killed at 8 wk of age (B8) after being fed an irradiated purified whole-egg protein diet for 3 wk. The body weight gains in the 3 wk period were higher in CV mice than in GF and GB mice. The moisture contents of a carcass/100 g of body weight were lower in CV mice than in GF and GB mice in the B5 and B8 groups. The lipid and energy of the carcasses of CV mice in B8 group were higher than in the other mice. Crude protein of the carcasses of CV mice in the B5 group was higher than in the other mice. Accumulation of dry matter, lipid and energy per mouse for 3 wk was higher in CV mice than in GF and GB mice. Crude protein accumulation per unit body weight gains in GB mice was higher than that of GF or CV mice. With respect to N and energy retention per unit food intake by the slaughter method, CV mice tended to show high values. The results of N balance by the balance method showed the similar tendencies as the results of the slaughter method. GF mice showed higher values for dry matter, N and energy of gut contents/100 g of body weight than those of the other mice. Gross energy of crude protein and lipid in carcass showed no differences among the 3 groups of mice.

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