Metronidazole effects on microbiota and mucus layer thickness in the rat gut

Abstract Both mucus and mucosa-associated bacteria form a specific environment in the gut; their disruption may play a crucial role in the development of intestinal bowel disease (IBD). Metronidazole, an antibiotic used in the treatment of IBD, alters gut microbiota and reduces basal oxidative stres...

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Published in:	FEMS microbiology ecology 2010-09, Vol.73 (3), p.601-610
Main Authors:	Pélissier, Marie-Agnès, Vasquez, Nadia, Balamurugan, Ramadass, Pereira, Ester, Dossou-Yovo, Flore, Suau, Antonia, Pochart, Philippe, Magne, Fabien
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Animal tissues Animal, plant and microbial ecology Animals Antibiotics bifidobacteria Bifidobacterium - classification Bifidobacterium - genetics Bifidobacterium - growth & development Bifidobacterium - isolation & purification Bifidobacterium pseudolongum Biological and medical sciences Digestive system Digestive tract Disruption Drinking water Ecology Electrophoresis Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology Gel electrophoresis In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence inflammatory bowel diseases Intestinal microflora Intestinal Mucosa - microbiology Intestine Male Metagenome - drug effects Metronidazole Metronidazole - pharmacology Microbial ecology Microbiology Microbiota Mucosa Mucus Mucus - drug effects mucus layer Oxidative Stress Rats Rats, Wistar Rodent control Rodents Temperature gradients Thickness
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Summary:	Abstract Both mucus and mucosa-associated bacteria form a specific environment in the gut; their disruption may play a crucial role in the development of intestinal bowel disease (IBD). Metronidazole, an antibiotic used in the treatment of IBD, alters gut microbiota and reduces basal oxidative stress to proteins in colonic tissue of healthy rats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the altered microbiota due to the metronidazole on the thickness of the mucus layer. This study was performed in healthy untreated rats (control group) or rats treated by metronidazole (metronidazole-treated rats, 1 mg mL−1 in drinking water for 7 days). Both PCR-temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis and quantitative PCR (qPCR) revealed an altered microbiota with an increase in bifidobacteria and enterobacteria in metronidazole-treated rats compared with control rats. Moreover, a dominant bifidobacterial species, Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, was detected. Using qPCR and FISH, we showed that bifidobacteria were also increased in the microbiota-associated mucosa. At the same time, the mucus layer thickness was increased approximately twofold. These results could explain the benefits of metronidazole treatment and warrant further investigations to define the role of bifidobacteria in the colonic mucosa.
ISSN:	0168-6496 1574-6941