Low-dose penicillin in the uterus or infancy may affect the intestines and brain

American children receive an average of nearly three courses of antibiotics before the age of two, and exposure rates in many other countries are similar or higher

A new animal model study showed that exposure to low doses of penicillin in utero or immediately after birth altered gut microbes and altered gene expression in the brain, especially in the prefrontal cerebral cortex, an important area of ​​the brain for cognition, and almonds Nuclear is responsible for emotional response

These findings were published in the article "Effects of Early Life Exposure to Penicillin on Gene Expression in the Intestinal Microbiota, Frontal Cortex, and Amygdala" in the journal Science

"Our previous work has shown that exposing young animals to antibiotics will change their metabolism and immunity

Researchers have established an experimental system to evaluate the effects of exposure to antibiotics early in life on the gut flora and brain gene expression

The authors exposed mice to low-dose penicillin (1 mg per kilogram of body weight) in the womb, the last week of pregnancy, or within ten days of birth.

Blazer said: "Early life is a critical period for neurodevelopment

The authors conducted information analysis and established a link between specific gut microbial populations and the early expression of affected genes

Future research is needed to determine whether antibiotics directly affect brain development or whether molecules from the microbiome entering the brain disrupt gene activity and cause cognitive deficits

The gut-brain axis constitutes an active area of ​​research, and accumulated evidence shows that gut microbial activity changes the signal to the brain