Antibiotics given in childhood can have a negative impact on the health of the gastric system in adults, he says a study published September 9 in The Journal of Physiology.
Antibiotics have always been considered a double-edged sword – they’re essential under certain conditions, but taken without a doctor’s advice they can do more harm than good. Preterm and low birth weight babies are regularly given antibiotics to prevent, not just treat, infections, which are at high risk of developing. There are many other children who have been given antibiotics repeatedly for various conditions. A new study, published in The Journal of Physiology, found that early exposure to antibiotics in newborn mice has long-lasting effects on the microbiota, enteric nervous system, and gut function. This could mean that children who are given antibiotics may have gastrointestinal problems as adults.
The study looked at the impact of antibiotics on mice
This discovery by the research team of the University of Melbourne’s Department of Anatomy and Physiology is the first to show that antibiotics given to newborn mice have these long-lasting effects that result in the disruption of gastrointestinal function, including the speed of motility through the intestine. and symptoms similar to diarrhea in adulthood.
The research team gave the mice an oral dose of vancomycin every day for the first ten days of life. They were then raised normally to young adults and their intestinal tissue analyzed for structure, function, microbiota and nervous system. The researchers found that the changes also depended on the sex of the mice. The females had complete intestinal transit and the males had a lower fecal weight than the control group. Both males and females had higher fecal water content, which is a similar symptom to diarrhea.
Mice have many similarities to humans, but they are born with a more immature gut than humans and have accelerated growth due to a shorter lifespan. Their gut microbiota and nervous system are less complex than humans, so the results cannot yet be directly related to children and infants.
The study of antibiotics will continue
Researchers will conduct further studies on the mechanisms of antibiotics on the gut and the causes of sex-specific actions, and whether early antibiotic use affects metabolism and brain function.
Chief Physiologist Jaime Foong said, “We are very excited about the results of our study, which show that antibiotics given after birth could have prolonged effects on the enteric nervous system. This provides further evidence of the importance of the microbiota on gut health and could introduce new targets for advancing antibiotic treatment in very young children. “
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