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Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction-based Analyses of Murine Intestinal Microbiota After Oral Antibiotic Treatment
08:33

Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction-based Analyses of Murine Intestinal Microbiota After Oral Antibiotic Treatment

Published on: November 17, 2018

Amoxicillin treatment modifies the composition of Bifidobacterium species in infant intestinal microbiota

I Mangin1, A Suau, M Gotteland

  • 1Laboratoire de Biologie EA3199, Conservatoire national des arts et métiers, 2 rue Conté, Paris, France.

Anaerobe
|July 6, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Amoxicillin treatment in infants did not change total Bifidobacterium counts but eliminated some species, reducing gut microbiota diversity. This impacts beneficial bacteria composition in children receiving antibiotics.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Gut Microbiome Research

Background:

  • Amoxicillin is a widely used antibiotic in children.
  • Few studies have investigated its impact on the gut microbiota composition, especially Bifidobacterium species.
  • Bifidobacterium are considered beneficial microorganisms in the infant gut.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the impact of a seven-day amoxicillin treatment on the fecal Bifidobacterium species in infants.
  • To quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate changes in Bifidobacterium populations during acute respiratory infection treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Faecal samples collected from 31 infants before and after amoxicillin therapy.
  • Quantification of Bifidobacteria using real-time PCR.
  • Identification of predominant Bifidobacterium species using PCR-TTGE.

Main Results:

  • Amoxicillin treatment did not significantly alter total Bifidobacteria concentrations.
  • Complete disappearance of Bifidobacterium adolescentis and a significant decrease in Bifidobacterium bifidum were observed.
  • No significant effect on Bifidobacterium longum and B. pseudocatenulatum/B. catenulatum.
  • A significant reduction in the number of Bifidobacterium species per microbiota was noted.

Conclusions:

  • A 7-day amoxicillin course does not alter overall Bifidobacterium counts in infants.
  • Amoxicillin treatment can impact gut microbiota by altering species composition and reducing Bifidobacterium diversity.
  • Changes in specific Bifidobacterium species may have implications for infant gut health.
Abstract

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