The integrity of the intestinal barrier relies on the stable expression of TJs (such as ZO-1 and occludin), whose function is directly regulated by the composition of the gut microbiota.110 When microbial diversity decreases, intestinal permeability can increase several-fold, leading to the translocation of pathogens and endotoxins, which triggers excessive inflammatory responses, a process particularly prominent in the pathological progression of NEC. This evidence concerns the gene OCLN and necrotizing enterocolitis.