Gut Microbes Changed by Repeated Antibiotic Use
Repeated use of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin (Cipro) leads to persistent changes in the beneficial microbes of the gut, according to a study by David Relman, a researcher at Stanford University and recipient of an NIH Director's Pioneer Award. While ciprofloxacin usually does not cause gastrointestinal side effects normally associated with disturbance of gut-dwelling bacteria, this research demonstrates the occurrence of more subtle changes in gut microbe composition, such as replacement of some bacterial species with closely related species or eradication of some sub-sets of bacteria, particularly when multiple courses of antibiotics are administered. These long-term, persistent changes in microbe composition raise concerns about the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria as well as chronic changes in pathogen-host interactions in the gut, regulation of host immunity, energy balance, or metabolism.
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