Abstract
ABSTRACTThe potential for antibiotics to affect the ecology and evolution of the human gut microbiota is well recognised and has wide-ranging implications for host health. Here, we review the findings of key studies that surveyed the human gut microbiota during antibiotic treatment. We find several broad patterns including the loss of diversity, disturbance of community composition, suppression of bacteria in the Actinobacteria phylum, amplification of bacteria in the Bacteroidetes phylum, and promotion of antibiotic resistance. Such changes to the microbiota were often, but not always, recovered following the end of treatment. However, many studies reported unique and/or contradictory results, which highlights our inability to meaningfully predict or explain the effects of antibiotic treatment on the human gut microbiome. This problem arises from variation between existing studies in three major categories: differences in dose, class and combinations of antibiotic treatments used; differences in demographics, lifestyles, and locations of subjects; and differences in measurements, analyses and reporting styles used by researchers. To overcome this, we suggest two integrated approaches: (i) a top-down approach focused on building predictive models through large sample sizes, deep metagenomic sequencing, and effective collaboration; and (ii) a bottom-up reductionist approach focused on testing hypotheses using model systems.
Highlights
Antibiotics—chemicals that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria—play a central role in human medicine
We find several broad patterns including the loss of diversity, disturbance of community composition, suppression of bacteria in the Actinobacteria phylum, amplification of bacteria in the Bacteroidetes phylum, and promotion of antibiotic resistance
In this review we focus on the latter group to summarise and discuss what is currently known about the ecological and evolutionary effects of antibiotic treatment on the gut microbiota
Summary
Antibiotics—chemicals that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria—play a central role in human medicine. Several studies measured the effects of antibiotic treatment on the absolute abundance of the gut microbiota through other methods.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have