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Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction-based Analyses of Murine Intestinal Microbiota After Oral Antibiotic Treatment
Published on: November 17, 2018
Antibiotic Treatment Induces Long-Lasting Effects on Gut Microbiota and the Enteric Nervous System in Mice
Giulia Bernabè1, Mahmoud Elsayed Mosaad Shalata1, Veronica Zatta1
1Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Via A. Gabelli, 63-35127 Padova, Italy.
Abstract:
The side effects of antibiotic treatment directly correlate with intestinal dysbiosis. However, a balanced gut microbiota supports the integrity of the enteric nervous system (ENS), which controls gastrointestinal neuromuscular functions. In this study, we investigated the long-term effects of antibiotic-induced microbial dysbiosis on the ENS and the impact of the spontaneous re-establishment of the gut microbiota on gastrointestinal functions. C57BL/6J mice were treated daily for two weeks with antibiotics. After 0-6 weeks of antibiotics wash-out, we determined (a) gut microbiota composition, (b) gastrointestinal motility, (c) integrity of the ENS, (d) neurochemical code, and (e) inflammation. Two weeks of antibiotic treatment significantly altered gut microbial composition; the genera Clostridium, Lachnoclostridium, and Akkermansia did not regain their relative abundance following six weeks of antibiotic discontinuation. Mice treated with antibiotics experienced delayed gastrointestinal transit and altered expression of neuronal markers. The anomalies of the ENS persisted for up to 4 weeks after the antibiotic interruption; the expression of neuronal HuC/D, glial-derived neurotrophic factor (Gdnf), and nerve growth factor (Ngf) mRNA transcripts did not recover. In this study, we strengthened the idea that antibiotic-induced gastrointestinal dysmotility directly correlates with gut dysbiosis as well as structural and functional damage to the ENS.
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