By the age of two years old, the average child in the United States receives roughly three courses of antibiotics, with similar or higher rates prevalent in many other nations around the globe. A recent animal model study reveals that low-dose penicillin exposure in the womb or shortly after birth affects the gut microbiota and gene expression in the brain, notably in the frontal cerebral cortex, which is essential for cognition, as well as the amygdala, which has control over the emotional reactions that take place within us.
Observations seem to form connections between penicillin and brain disorders
The study published in iScience suggests the use of alternatives or at least reducing the abundant usage of antibiotics, specifically in pregnant women and young children. Ideally this would help prevent people becoming prone to neurodevelopmental disorders. The director of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine at Rutgers University, Martin Blaser, PhD, tells us on Rutgers Today “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,” the researchers set up experimental systems to see how early-life antibiotic exposure affects the gut microbiota and gene expression in the brain. This approach, which simulates early-life antibiotic exposure in humans, might be used to create a preclinical model of neurodevelopmental diseases in which the gut-brain axis is disrupted.
early life is a critical period for neurodevelopment
Blaser also said in a Sci News article “early life is a critical period for neurodevelopment,” and that there is somewhat of a rise in childhood neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism and ADHD alongside other learning disabilities in recent years. Blaser and his team use data analytics to identify linkages between certain gut bacteria populations and the expression of impacted genes in the early stages of development. The translational model may be used to investigate the function of the gut microbiota in normal and pathological central nervous system development.
Moving Forward
Future research is needed to see if antibiotics influence brain development directly or if chemicals from the microbiome that get to the brain disrupt gene function and produce cognitive abnormalities. The gut-brain axis is a hot topic of research, with mounting data showing that microbial activity in the intestine affects messages to the brain. The goal of this discipline is to figure out if altering the gut–brain axis, especially early in development, might impact the chance of developing brain problems later in life. Investigations into the gut-brain axis might lead to new treatment options for illnesses of the central nervous system that are presently incurable.