Early life exposure to antibiotics could alter brain development
Antibiotic exposure early in life could alter human brain development in areas responsible for cognitive and emotional functions, according to a Rutgers researcher.
The laboratory study, published in the journal
iScience, suggests that penicillin changes the microbiome – the trillions of beneficial microorganisms that live in and on our bodies – as well as gene expression, which allows cells to respond to its changing environment, in key areas of the developing brain. The findings suggest reducing widespread antibiotic use or using alternatives when possible to prevent neurodevelopment problems.
Penicillin and related medicines (like ampicillin and amoxicillin) are the most widely used antibiotics in children worldwide. In the United States, the average child receives nearly three courses of antibiotics before the age of 2. Similar or greater exposure rates occur in many other countries. Our previous work has
Antibiotic Exposure in Early Life Affect Brain Development by Angela Mohan on July 15, 2021 at 9:38 AM
iScience.
The study suggests that penicillin changes the microbiome and gene expression, which allows cells to respond to its changing environment, in key areas of the developing brain. Reducing widespread antibiotic use or using alternatives when possible helps to prevent neurodevelopment problems. Our previous work has shown that exposing young animals to antibiotics changes their metabolism and immunity. The third important development in early life involves the brain.
This study is preliminary but shows a correlation between altering the microbiome and changes in the brain that should be further explored, said lead author Martin Blaser, director of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine at Rutgers.
Antibiotics in early life could affect brain development eurekalert.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from eurekalert.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
E-Mail
A surgical procedure meant to counter ulcerative colitis, an immune disease affecting the colon, may trigger a second immune system attack, a new study shows.
The study results revolve around the immune system, the cells and proteins that destroy invading bacteria and viruses. Activating it brings about inflammation, responses like swelling and pain that result from cells homing in on the site of infection or injury. Autoimmune diseases like ulcerative colitis occur when this system mistakenly damages the body s own tissues.
Colon tissue damaged by the disease is routinely addressed with a J-pouch procedure wherein a pouch is surgically constructed from nearby, healthy small intestine tissue to replace the damaged section of the colon. The procedure is designed to restrain the inflammatory attack on the colon, but more than half of these patients, unfortunately, go on to develop inflammation in the J-pouch (pouchitis).