Stress due to antibiotic side effects

Study: Antibiotic side effects: triggered by oxidative stress

08/28/2013

Long-term antibiotics can cause serious side effects. Researchers from Boston have now found the reasons. Studies report severe side effects of long-term antibiotic therapy such as tendonitis, inner ear problems and hearing loss, diarrhea, impaired kidney function. The researchers suspect that these side effects occur when administered antibiotics trigger oxidative stress. This damages the DNA, proteins and lipids in human cells, say the scientists.

Side effects from oxidative stress?
The scientists had already discovered that antibiotics kill bacteria by triggering oxidative stress in them. Now they wanted to know if the side effects of long-term antibiotic therapy are also due to oxidative stress in the human mitochondria.

Malfunction of the mitochondria
To do so, they investigated whether clinical concentrations of the antibiotics ciprofloxacin, ampicillin and kanamycin each cause oxidative stress in human cell cultures. After about four days of long-term treatment, the researchers found a malfunction in the mitochondria of the cells. All three antibiotics damaged both the DNA, as well as the proteins and lipids of the cells - damage as they occur in oxidative stress.

Reduced Glutathione Level: Oxidative Stress
Animal experiments in mice confirmed the results. In addition, the researchers found in mice reduced glutathione levels - another indication of oxidative stress.

Suggested solution: An antioxidant
Cell stress could be avoided with the help of bacteriostatic antibiotics such as tetracycline. Although these do not kill bacteria, they prevent them from multiplying. However, the researchers also found that existing oxidative stress can be alleviated with the help of an approved antioxidant called N-acetylcysteine ​​(NAC). Here you will find the original publication. (Pm)

Picture: Andrea Damm