Shannon Russell1,2, Matthew J. Gold3, Martin Hartmann1,4, Benjamin P. Willing2, Lisa Thorson2, Marta Wlodarska1,2, Navkiran Gill2, Marie‐Renée Blanchet5, William W. Mohn1,4, Kelly M. McNagny3, B. Brett Finlay1,2
1Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada V6T 1Z4
2Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
3The Biomedical Research Center, and University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada V6T 1Z4
4The Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada V6T 1Z4
5Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec Quebec City Quebec Canada G1V 4G5
Tóm tắt
Allergic asthma rates have increased steadily in developed countries, arguing for an environmental aetiology. To assess the influence of gut microbiota on experimental murine allergic asthma, we treated neonatal mice with clinical doses of two widely used antibiotics—streptomycin and vancomycin—and evaluated resulting shifts in resident flora and subsequent susceptibility to allergic asthma. Streptomycin treatment had little effect on the microbiota and on disease, whereas vancomycin reduced microbial diversity, shifted the composition of the bacterial population and enhanced disease severity. Neither antibiotic had a significant effect when administered to adult mice. Consistent with the ‘hygiene hypothesis’, our data support a neonatal, microbiota‐driven, specific increase in susceptibility to experimental murine allergic asthma.
