The Impact of Long-Term Macrolide Exposure on the Gut Microbiome and Its Implications for Metabolic Control.

ABSTRACT: Long-term low-dose macrolide therapy is now widely used in the treatment of chronic respiratory diseases for its immune-modulating effects, although the antimicrobial properties of macrolides can also have collateral impacts on the gut microbiome. We investigated whether such treatment altered intestinal commensal microbiology and whether any such changes affected systemic immune and metabolic regulation. In healthy adults exposed to 4 weeks of low-dose erythromycin or azithromycin, as used clinically, we observed consistent shifts in gut microbiome composition, with a reduction in microbial capacity related to carbohydrate metabolism and short-chain fatty acid biosynthesis. These changes were accompanied by alterations in systemic biomarkers relating to immune (interleukin 5 [IL-5], IL-10

SUBMITTER: Choo JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10433835 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature