Maternal Antibiotic Treatment Altered Offspring Gut Microbiota and Increased Offspring Seizure Susceptibility
Abstract number :
3.085
Submission category :
1. Basic Mechanisms / 1F. Other
Year :
2024
Submission ID :
133
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/9/2024 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Authors :
Presenting Author: Xi Guo, PhD – University of Alabama at Birmingh
Allison Galluci, PhD – Virginia Polytechnic and State University
Lata Chaunsali, PhD – University of Virginia
Susan Campbell, PhD – University of Alabama at Birmingham
Rationale: Seizures in neonates are associated with poor outcomes later in life. The most common cause of neonatal seizures is hypoxic/ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). HIE is often detected in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), where antibiotics rank among the most frequently prescribed medications[1]. Up to 40% of pregnant women are prescribed antibiotics, which can profoundly impact the composition of the gut microbiome—the microbes in the intestine—during the perinatal and postnatal periods. Research indicates that altering the gut microbiota and supplementing bacteria can influence the likelihood of seizures and the efficacy of treatment in both human and animal models of epilepsy[2-4]. However, the impact of microbial shifts in pregnant women on the seizure susceptibility of their offspring remains unknown. Our study examined the effect of maternal antibiotic treatment on offspring gut microbiome composition and hypoxia-induced seizure susceptibility.
Methods: C57BL/6 mice were chronically treated with antibiotics via drinking water for one generation prior to experimental procedure. Untreated mice were administered sterile drinking water. p9-p10 pups from antibiotic-treated and untreated dams were exposed to global hypoxia by sequentially lowering oxygen concentration (9%, 6%, 5.5%, 5%) for 5-minute periods with 5-minute intervals for 40 minutes. Behavioral seizure activity was recorded and analyzed. Fecal samples were collected and 16s rRNA sequencing was performed to assess changes in gut microbiota. Whole-cell patch-clamp recording was performed on cortical neurons from pups after HIE induction.
Results: Maternal antibiotic treatment altered offspring gut microbiota composition, increased offspring seizure susceptibility and modulated neuronal function.
Conclusions: Maternal antibiotic treatment altered offspring gut microbiota composition, increased offspring seizure susceptibility and modulated neuronal function.
Funding: NIH/NINDS R01NS128421
Basic Mechanisms