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Updated: Oct 26, 2025
Probiotic Studies in Neonatal Mice Using Gavage
Published on: January 27, 2019
Impact of probiotics supplement on the gut microbiota in neonates with antibiotic exposure:
Hui Zhong1, Xiang-Geng Wang1, Jing Wang1
1Department of Pediatrics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, No. 301 Middle Yanchang Road, Shanghai, China.
Insights
Concurrent probiotic use with antibiotics benefits neonatal gut microbiota, promoting Bifidobacterium abundance. Early probiotic intervention may aid microbiota recovery after antibiotic treatment in infectious neonates.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal microbiome research
- Gut microbiota
- Antibiotic therapy impact
Background:
- Antibiotics are crucial for neonatal infections but disrupt the gut microbiota.
- Probiotic supplementation is increasingly used to mitigate microbial loss.
- Evidence is lacking on optimal probiotic timing during neonatal antibiotic treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of probiotics on the gut microbiota of infectious neonates.
- To compare concurrent vs. sequential probiotic use with antibiotics.
- To assess microbiota recovery following antibiotic therapy.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-five neonates with infections were grouped into: antibiotic-only, probiotics with antibiotics, and probiotics after antibiotics.
- Antibiotic treatment (piperacillin-tazobactam) and probiotic (Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus) administration varied by group.
- Fecal samples were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing at multiple time points.
Main Results:
- Antibiotics significantly reduced gut microbial diversity, particularly Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus.
- Probiotics did not restore overall gut microbiota diversity.
- Concurrent probiotic use enhanced gut microbiota compared to delayed use, especially for Bifidobacterium.
Conclusions:
- Early probiotic administration may help remodel the neonatal gut microbiota post-antibiotics.
- Further research is needed to confirm long-term effects and clinical benefits of concurrent probiotic use.
Background:
Antibiotics, a common strategy used for neonatal infection, show consistent effect on the gut microbiota of neonates. Supplementation with probiotics has become increasingly popular in mitigating the loss of the gut microbiota. However, no clear consensus recommending the use of probiotics in the infection of neonates currently exists. This study examined the effects of probiotics on the gut microbiota of infectious neonates when used concurrently with or during the recovery period following antibiotic therapy.
Methods:
Fifty-five full-term neonates diagnosed with neonatal infections were divided into the following groups: NI (no intervention, antibiotic therapy only), PCA (probiotics used concurrently with antibiotics), and PAA (probiotics used after antibiotics). The NI group received antibiotic treatment (piperacillin-tazobactam) for 1 week and the PCA group received antibiotic treatment together with probiotics (Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Enterococcus faecalis) for 1 week. The PAA group received antibiotic treatment for 1 week followed by probiotics for 1 week. Fecal samples were collected at four time nodes: newborn, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 42 days after birth. The composition of the gut microbiota was determined by the high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons.
Results:
Antibiotic exposure was found to dramatically alter gut microbiota, with a significant decrease of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. The use of probiotics did not restore the overall diversity of the gut microbiota. However, using probiotics simultaneously with the antibiotics was found to be beneficial for the gut microbiota as compared to delaying the use of probiotics to follow treatment with antibiotics, particularly in promoting the abundance of Bifidobacterium.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that the early use of probiotics may have a potential ability to remodel the gut microbiota during recovery from antibiotic treatment. However, further study is required to fully understand the long-term effects including the clinical benefits.
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