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Antibiotics augment the impact of iron deficiency on metabolism in a piglet model
Shannon McClorry1, Peng Ji1, Mariana G Parenti1
1Department of Nutrition, UC Davis, Davis, California, USA.
Insights
Iron deficiency (ID) in piglets worsens metabolic issues, and antibiotic use amplifies these effects. Antibiotics exacerbate oxidative stress, ketosis, and ureagenesis in piglets with iron deficiency.
Area of Science:
- * Nutritional science
- * Microbiology
- * Developmental biology
Background:
- * Infancy and childhood are critical periods for development, marked by high risks for iron deficiency (ID) and infectious diseases.
- * Antibiotic use is prevalent in children globally, necessitating an understanding of its interaction with ID.
- * Systemic metabolism is sensitive to nutritional status and external factors like antibiotic exposure.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To investigate the combined impact of iron deficiency and antibiotic administration on systemic metabolism in a piglet model.
- * To determine if antibiotics exacerbate the metabolic consequences of iron deficiency.
- * To assess the lasting effects of this combined exposure on metabolic health.
Main Methods:
- * A piglet model was employed to induce iron deficiency by withholding iron and providing a deficient diet.
- * Antibiotics (gentamicin and spectinomycin) were administered to control and iron-deficient piglets post-weaning.
- * Serum metabolomics were analyzed before and after antibiotic treatment to assess systemic metabolic changes.
Main Results:
- * Iron-deficient piglets exhibited growth faltering, reduced hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels.
- * Iron deficiency led to elevated markers of oxidative stress, ketosis, and ureagenesis.
- * Antibiotic administration in iron-deficient piglets amplified these negative metabolic changes compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- * Antibiotic use in the context of iron deficiency significantly exacerbates negative metabolic impacts.
- * The combination of iron deficiency and antibiotics may have profound and lasting effects on development.
- * Findings highlight the critical interplay between nutrition and medication in early life stages.
Abstract:
Infancy and childhood represent a high-risk period for developing iron deficiency (ID) and is a period of increased susceptibility to infectious disease. Antibiotic use is high in children from low-, middle-, and high-income countries, and thus we sought to determine the impact of antibiotics in the context of ID. In this study, a piglet model was used to assess the impact of ID and antibiotics on systemic metabolism. ID was induced by withholding a ferrous sulfate injection after birth to piglets in the ID group and providing an iron deficient diet upon weaning on postnatal day (PD) 25. Antibiotics (gentamicin and spectinomycin) were administered on PD34-36 to a set of control (Con*+Abx) and ID piglets (ID+Abx) after weaning. Blood was analyzed on PD30 (before antibiotic administration) and PD43 (7 days after antibiotic administration). All ID piglets exhibited growth faltering and had lower hemoglobin and hematocrit compared to control (Con) and Con*+Abx throughout. The metabolome of ID piglets at weaning and sacrifice exhibited elevated markers of oxidative stress, ketosis, and ureagenesis compared to Con. The impact of antibiotics on Con*+Abx piglets did not result in significant changes to the serum metabolome 7-days after treatment; however, the impact of antibiotics on ID+Abx piglets resulted in the same metabolic changes observed in ID piglets, but with a greater magnitude when compared to Con. These results suggest that antibiotic administration in the context of ID exacerbates the negative metabolic impacts of ID and may have long lasting impacts on development.
