Early-life vancomycin treatment promotes airway inflammation and impairs microbiome homeostasis

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Immunology
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Gut and lung microbiomes play roles in asthma pathogenesis.
• The impact of early-life antibiotic exposure on adult allergic airway inflammation is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how perinatal and early-life vancomycin intervention affects adult allergic airway inflammation.
• To explore the relationship between microbiome alterations and asthma severity following early antibiotic exposure.

Main Methods:

• C57BL/6 mice were assigned to control or vancomycin-treated groups, receiving vancomycin from gestational day 14 to 6 weeks.
• An ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model was established, and airway inflammation was assessed.
• Fecal and lung tissue DNA underwent 16S rDNA gene sequencing to analyze microbiome composition.

Main Results:

• Vancomycin treatment significantly increased airway inflammation and Th2-related cytokines in the OVA-induced asthma model.
• Microbiome analysis revealed reduced richness and evenness, with altered composition in both gut and lung following vancomycin exposure.
• Specific microbial families, Micrococcaceae and Clostridiaceae-1, showed potential correlation with allergic airway inflammation severity.

Conclusions:

• Perinatal and early-life vancomycin intervention aggravates allergic airway inflammation in adulthood.
• This aggravation may be associated with imbalanced gut and lung microbiome homeostasis.
• Early-life antibiotic use could predispose individuals to heightened allergic airway responses later in life.