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Manipulation of the gut microbiota in C57BL/6 mice changes glucose tolerance without affecting weight development and

Gunilla Veslemøy Bech-Nielsen1, Camilla Hartmann Friis Hansen, Majbritt Ravn Hufeldt

  • 1Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Grønnegårdsvej 18, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark. gvbn@vet.dtu.dk

Research in Veterinary Science
|May 6, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Antibiotic treatment in mice improved glucose tolerance by altering gut microbiota composition. This change in gut bacteria did not affect the mice's weight or gut immunology.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Metabolic Diseases

Background:

  • Gut microbiota composition influences inflammatory diseases like type 2 diabetes (T2D).
  • Previous studies showed antibiotics improve glucose tolerance in Lep(ob) mice.
  • Wild type C57BL/6J mice can develop glucose intolerance similar to human T2D.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of antibiotic treatment on glucose tolerance in C57BL/6 mice.
  • To determine if antibiotic treatment affects weight and gut immunology in these mice.
  • To explore the relationship between gut microbiota changes and glucose metabolism.

Main Methods:

  • C57BL/6 mice were treated with ampicillin or erythromycin for five weeks.
  • Glucose tolerance was assessed in treated and control mice.
  • Gut microbiota composition was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
  • Gut mucosal immune cells (T regulatory cells, dendritic cells, T helper cells type 1) were quantified.

Main Results:

  • Ampicillin treatment significantly improved glucose tolerance compared to controls and erythromycin.
  • Antibiotic treatment did not significantly alter body weight or the number of key gut immune cells.
  • 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed reduced gut microbial diversity in antibiotic-treated mice.
  • Gut microbiota profiles clearly clustered based on treatment group.

Conclusions:

  • Antibiotic treatment alters gut microbiota composition and improves glucose metabolism in C57BL/6 mice.
  • The observed metabolic improvements are not linked to changes in body weight or gut mucosal immunity.
  • This suggests a direct role for gut microbiota modulation in managing glucose intolerance.

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