IL6 and necrotizing enterocolitis: Underwood et al. demonstrated that in a rat pup NEC model (disease induction with formula feeds, hypoxia, and cold stress), supplementation with Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis (B. infantis) of rat pups on formula reduced experimental NEC incidence and expression of inflammatory cytokines and markers (i.e., IL-6, TNF-a, and iNOS) [93].