Influences of long-term antibiotic administration on Peyer's patch lymphocytes and mucosal immunoglobulin A levels in a mouse model.
BACKGROUND
Long-term antibiotic administration is sometimes necessary to control bacterial infections during the perioperative period. However, antibiotic administration may alter gut bacterial flora, possibly impairing gut mucosal immunity. We hypothesized that 1 week of subcutaneous (SC) antibiotic injections would affect Peyer's patch (PP) lymphocyte numbers and phenotypes, as well as mucosal immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels.


METHODS
Sixty-one male Institute of Cancer Research mice were randomized to CMZ (cefmetazole 100 mg/kg, administered SC twice a day), IPM (imipenem/cilastatin 50 mg/kg x 2), and control (saline 0.1 mL x 2) groups. After 7 days of treatment, the mice were killed and their small intestines removed. Bacterial numbers in the small intestine were determined using sheep blood agar plates under aerobic conditions (n = 21). PP lymphocytes were isolated to determine cell numbers and phenotypes (CD4, CD8, alphabetaTCR, gammadeltaTCR, B220; n = 40). IgA levels in the small intestinal and bronchoalveolar washings were also measured with ELISA.


RESULTS
Antibiotic administration decreased both bacterial number and the PP cell yield compared with the control group. There were no significant differences in either phenotype percentages or IgA levels at any mucosal sites among the 3 groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term antibiotic treatment reduces PP cell numbers while decreasing bacterial numbers in the small intestine. It may be important to recognize changes in gut mucosal immunity during long-term antibiotic administration.
Yaguchi
Yoshihisa
Y
Department of Surgery I, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Japan.
Fukatsu
Kazuhiko
K
Moriya
Tomoyuki
T
Maeshima
Yoshinori
Y
Ikezawa
Fumie
F
Omata
Jiro
J
Ueno
Chikara
C
Okamoto
Koichi
K
Hara
Etsuko
E
Ichikura
Takashi
T
Hiraide
Hoshio
H
Mochizuki
Hidetaka
H
Touger-Decker
Riva E
RE
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal / Q000187:drug effects; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010581:Peyer's Patches / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D010641:Phenotype; D011897:Random Allocation
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory