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Influence of peroral antibiotics upon the biotransformatory activity of the intestinal microflora in healthy subjects
Author(s) -
MIDTVEDT T.,
CARLSTEDTDUKE BODIL,
HØVERSTAD T.,
LINGAAS E.,
NORIN ELISABETH,
SAXERHOLT H.,
STEINBAKK M.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
european journal of clinical investigation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.164
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1365-2362
pISSN - 0014-2972
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2362.1986.tb01300.x
Subject(s) - ampicillin , coprostanol , antibiotics , bilirubin , clindamycin , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , trypsin , erythromycin , metronidazole , feces , cholesterol , medicine , biology , biochemistry , enzyme , sterol
. The effects of ampicillin, clindamycin or metronidazole, given perorally for 6 days to eighteen healthy volunteers, upon the following intestinal microflora‐associated characteristics (MACs) were evaluated: breakdown of mucin, formation of coprostanol, hydrolysis of bilirubin conjugates, formation of urobilinogen, and of some short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), presence of β‐aspartylglycine and inactivation of trypsin. Clindamycin markedly influenced the expression of all characteristics, but trypsin and β‐aspartylglycine, resulting in a pattern very much alike what has been found in germ‐free animals. Ampicillin caused a significant reduction in total amount of SCFAs ( P <0·05) and urobilinogen ( P <0·05) present in the faecal samples. Metronidazole caused a significant reduction in the formation of coprostanol and the deconjugation of bilirubin ( P <0·05). We conclude that orally given antibiotics may cause major alterations in several parameters reflecting the normal biotransformatory activity of the intestinal microflora, probably caused by severe disturbances in the intestinal ecosystem.