Background
Antibiotics are the first line of treatment for infectious diseases. However, their overuse can increase the spread of drug-resistant bacteria. The present study analyzed the impact of different types of antibiotics on the gut microbiome and cytokines level of mice.
Methods
A total of five groups of 8-week-old male BALB/c mice (n = 35) were treated with piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP), ceftriaxone (CRO), tigecycline (TGC), levofloxacin (LEV) or normal saline (Ctrl), respectively, for up to 4 weeks. Fecal samples were analyzed by bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing for bacterial identification. Blood samples were used for the determination of 23 serum cytokines using multiplex immunoassay.
Results
Exposure to antibiotics was shown to affect the normal weight gain of mice. Significant changes in gut composition caused by TZP, CRO and TGC treatment included the decreased abundance of
Bacteroidetes
(p < 0.01),
Muribaculaceae
(p < 0.01) and
Lachnospiraceae
(p < 0.01), and the increased abundance of
Proteobacteria
(p < 0.05),
Enterobacteriaceae
(including
Klebsiella
and
Enterobacter
) (p < 0.01) and
Enterococcaceae
(including
Enterococcus
) (p < 0.01). After 4-week treatment, the TZP, CRO and LEV groups had significantly lower concentrations of several serum cytokines. Correlation analysis of the top 30 bacterial genera and cytokines showed that
Enterococcus
and
Klebsiella
were strongly positively correlated with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukins (IL) IL-12p70 and IL-1β.
Desulfovibrio, Candidatus
Saccharimonas,
norank_f__norank_o__Clostridia_UCG-014, Lactobacillus
, and
Roseburi
a were strongly negatively correlated with these cytokines.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates the effects of various antibiotics on the intestinal microflora and immune status of mice. Compared with TZP, CRO and TGC, LEV had minimal impact on the gut microbiota. In addition to TGC, long-term TZP, CRO and LEV intervention can lead to a decrease in serum cytokine levels, which may depend on the intestinal microflora, antibiotic used and the duration of treatment.