Bacteria research Antibiotics damage the intestinal flora and trigger serious infections

Antibiotics damage the intestinal flora and facilitate the proliferation of negative bacteria
The human intestinal flora is very important for our digestive process. Intestinal bacteria, for example, can produce energy and absorb fatty acids. Medicines should support the intestinal flora and in no way disturb or fight the important intestinal bacteria. New evidence now shows that antibiotics can have a negative impact on these beneficial bacteria.

Actually, antibiotics are used to treat various bacterial infectious diseases. However, in a recent study, scientists from North Carolina State University found that this medicine prevents the liver from producing primary bile acid and damages friendly intestinal bacteria. The results of their study, the researchers published in the journal "mSphere".

Antibiotics damage the intestinal flora, increasing susceptibility to infections. (Image: psdesign1 / fotolia.com)

Antibiotics fight positive intestinal bacteria and damage the intestinal flora
Our intestine performs very important tasks in the human body. The microorganisms contained have several beneficial effects, such as the supply of some vitamins or the support of digestion, said the American researchers. Their recent study showed that antibiotics can fight the positive gut bacteria and thus damage our intestinal flora. In animals and humans, the intestinal flora is a very complex community of microorganisms. It is estimated that the human gut contains not less than 100 trillion of such microorganisms. It has been known for some time that the use of antibiotics has an effect on the intestinal flora, added the physicians. Because of this, doctors often recommend their patients to take probiotics after stopping antibiotic therapy. Probiotics can help rebuild our intestinal flora after an aggressive use of antibiotics. Because the more our intestinal flora is damaged, the more susceptible it becomes to infections.

Propagation of the bacterium Clostridium difficile
In a lab mice test, the research team discovered that only a single treatment with antibiotics can be sufficient to make our intestinal flora susceptible to Clostridium difficile bacteria. Normally, Clostridium difficile is a harmless intestinal bacterium, explained the doctors. But if competing bacterial species of the normal intestinal flora are pushed back by antibiotics, the bacterium can multiply and produce toxins. These may then lead to severe diarrhea (antibiotic-associated colitis) and life-threatening complications. The Clostridium difficile bacteria thrive because antibiotics kill our friendly intestinal bacteria. In addition, the bacteria can form extremely resistant spores and spread rapidly.

Antibiotics prevent liver from producing important primary bile acids
Antibiotics repel friendly gut bacteria and these are replaced by the harmful Clostridium difficile bacteria. In addition, the drug can prevent the liver from producing primary bile acid, the doctors explain in their study. Our body seems to make the primary bile acids in our liver from cholesterol. After leaving the liver, these bile acids migrate into the colon. There they are broken down into other components, such as secondary bile acids. These secondary bile acids are again very important because they ensure that Clostridium difficile can not ferment in our intestines. Accordingly, antibiotics have another negative effect on the decreased production of primary bile acids. In the test mice, 26 different bile acids have been identified, reports the team of experts. When the intestinal flora was able to produce enough secondary bile acid, the Clostridium difficile bacteria had no negative effects on the body. The researchers also found that the spores of Clostridium difficile continue to thrive independently of the antibiotic. (As)