Disruption of the Gut Ecosystem by Antibiotics.

Mi Young Yoon, Sang Sun Yoon

Journal: Yonsei medical journal 2018;59(1):4-12

PMID: 29214770

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Plain Language Summary

The gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem of different micro-organisms, such as bacteria, viruses and fungi, living in the human intestines. It’s involved in numerous functions, such as extracting energy and nutrition from food, protecting against disease-causing microorganisms, and supporting the immune system of the host, and therefore affecting human health and disease. This paper is a review of studies on the effects of antibiotics on the gut microbiota. It outlines how different types of antibiotics can alter the intestinal environment and the composition of the microbes, resulting in various physiological changes that can trigger disease. Relevant mechanisms, such as inflammatory response and the use of intestinal nutrients by infectious bacteria are discussed. Finally, it discusses faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and probiotics as treatment approaches, aimed at restoring a disturbed intestinal environment.

Abstract

The intestinal microbiota is a complex ecosystem consisting of various microorganisms that expands human genetic repertoire and therefore affects human health and disease. The metabolic processes and signal transduction pathways of the host and intestinal microorganisms are intimately linked, and abnormal progression of each process leads to changes in the intestinal environment. Alterations in microbial communities lead to changes in functional structures based on the metabolites produced in the gut, and these environmental changes result in various bacterial infections and chronic enteric inflammatory diseases. Here, we illustrate how antibiotics are associated with an increased risk of antibiotic-associated diseases by driving intestinal environment changes that favor the proliferation and virulence of pathogens. Understanding the pathogenesis caused by antibiotics would be a crucial key to the treatment of antibiotic-associated diseases by mitigating changes in the intestinal environment and restoring it to its original state.

Address: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Sciences, Seoul, Korea.; Institute for Immunology and Immunological Diseases, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.; Institute for Immunology and Immunological Diseases, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. [email protected].

DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2018.59.1.4