“The practical implication is simple: Avoid giving antibiotics to young children whenever you can, as it can increase the risk of infection,” said senior author Martin Blaser, Director of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology. risk of significant, long-term problems with allergies and/or asthma.” and Drugs at Rutgers.
Why should antibiotics be avoided?
In the study, the researchers, from Rutgers, New York University and the University of Zurich, note that antibiotics, “one of the most commonly used drugs in children, affect the microbial community.” intestinal flora and metabolic function. These changes in microbiome structure may influence host immunity.”
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In the first part of the experiment, 5-day-old mice were given either water, azithromycin, or amoxicillin. After the mice matured, the researchers exposed them to a common allergen derived from house dust mites. Mice that received either antibiotic, particularly azithromycin, had a higher rate of immune response – i.e. allergic reaction.
The second and third parts of the experiment tested the hypothesis that early exposure to antibiotics (but no subsequent exposure) causes allergies and asthma by killing certain healthy gut bacteria. Supports proper immune system development.
Lead author Timothy Borbet first transferred bacteria-rich stool samples from the first group of mice to a second group of adult mice that had not previously been exposed to any bacteria or germs. Some samples were obtained from rats given azithromycin or amoxicillin during the neonatal period. Others received normal samples from mice that received water.
Mice that received antibiotic-modified samples were no more likely than other mice to develop immune responses to house dust mites, nor were those who received antibiotics in adulthood. are more likely to have asthma or allergies than people who don’t.
However, things were different for the next generation. The offspring of mice that received the antibiotic-modified sample were more responsive to house dust mites than those whose parents received the antibiotic-free sample, just as the mice that initially received the antibiotic when Young children reacted to allergens more than those that received water.
“This is a carefully controlled trial,” says Blaser. “The only variable in the first section was antibiotic exposure. The only variable in the second two sections was whether the gut microbiota mix was affected by the antibiotics. Everything else about the mice was the same. same.
Blaser added that “these experiments provide solid evidence that antibiotics cause undesirable immune responses that develop through their effects on gut bacteria, but only when gut bacteria altered in childhood.”
Source: Eurekalert
