Antibiotics' Influence on Gut Microbes and Hypertensive Organ Damage

Modifying the gut microbiome using targeted antibiotics had an impact on organ damage linked to high blood pressure, stated research conducted in rodents. (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
DIFFERENT ANTIBIOTICS’ EFFECTS ON GUT MICROBES MAY IMPACT HYPERTENSIVE ORGAN DAMAGE

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Targeted Antibiotic Intervention in Hypertensive Rats

For the study, //scientists used narrow-spectrum antibiotics to specifically deplete Gram-negative or Gram-positive bacteria in rats with hypertension. Hypertension-related kidney damage and cardiac hypertrophy were lessened by vancomycin treatment (which targets Gram-positive bacteria). Polymyxin B treatment (which targets Gram-negative bacteria) showed no significant effect. Blood pressure levels for both antibiotic treatments were not significantly different from no antibiotic treatment.

Surprisingly, vancomycin treatment led to a massive increase of Lactobacilli, which are considered “good” Gram-positive bacteria. When the researchers examined immune cells isolated from the hypertensive rats’ hearts, kidneys, blood, spleen, and intestines, they observed many pro-inflammatory immune cell types. Vancomycin treatment reduced inflammation in the kidney. Polymyxin B treatment did not alter any inflammatory states.

“In the future, we would like to achieve such effects without antibiotics. We also aim to further understand and harness the underlying mechanisms for the kidney protective effects we observed,” said corresponding author Moritz Immanuel Wimmer of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

Reference:

1. DIFFERENT ANTIBIOTICS’ EFFECTS ON GUT MICROBES MAY IMPACT HYPERTENSIVE ORGAN DAMAGE - (https://www.asn-online.org/about/press/releases/ASN_PR_20231102_WimmerFINAL.pdf)

Source-Eurekalert