Adult C57BL/6J (B6) male mice were purchased at ages 6–8 weeks and 18–20 months from Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, ME). Prior to initiation of the experiment, mice were acclimated to the humidity-controlled housing room programmed for a 12-hour light-dark cycle for a minimum of 2 weeks. Mice were cared for by the University of Florida Animal Care Services (Gainesville, FL). Mice of the same age cohort and treatment were housed in transparent cages (3–4 animals per cage) within specific pathogen-free facilities at ambient room temperatures (23°C). The animals were provided standard rodent chow and water ad libitum for the duration of the study. Due to the coprophagic nature of mice, caging them together for 2 weeks allowed the mice to obtain a similar microbiota composition and structure (18 (link), 19 (link)), although our previous worked revealed that microbiome similarity occurred only among mice of the same age (20 (link)). The animals were cared for and used according to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and the experiments were approved by the University of Florida Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.