[메디컬투데이=조민규 기자] A study found that antibiotics can damage the intestinal mucosa and increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
A study published in Science Advances found that antibiotics damaged the intestinal mucosa in a mouse model, potentially increasing the risk of IBD.
As of 2019, it is known that approximately 4.9 million people worldwide suffer from IBD. The two main types of IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, but the exact cause and treatment of IBD are still unknown.
Antibiotics are drugs that suppress the growth or survival of bacteria, and are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs, with an antibiotic prescription rate of 15% in Korea as of 2022. Experts claim that the human gastrointestinal tract contains both beneficial and harmful bacteria, and that antibiotics can cause imbalances in the intestinal microbiome, which can lead to various gastrointestinal diseases.
Using analytical techniques including RNA sequencing, machine learning, and mucus secretion measurements, the researchers determined the impact of antibiotic use in a mouse model of IBD.
According to the study, the researchers found that antibiotics such as ampicillin, metronidazole, neomycin, and vancomycin damage the protective mucosal layer of the digestive tract, increasing the risk of bacterial invasion and intestinal inflammation.
It is generally thought that antibiotics act only on bacteria and do not harm humans, but this study shows that antibiotics directly affect our intestinal cells, the researchers explained.
They added that the negative effects of antibiotics on the intestinal mucosa were due to a direct effect on the cells responsible for producing mucus, rather than changes in the gut microbiome.
The researchers concluded that antibiotics may increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease by damaging the gut lining in a more direct way.
Medical Today Reporter Jo Min-gyu (awe0906@mdtoday.co.kr)
[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]
