Misoprostol protects mice against severe Clostridium difficile infection and promotes recovery of the gut microbiota after antibiotic perturbation.

ABSTRACT: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is one of the most common nosocomial infections worldwide and an urgent public health threat. Epidemiological and experimental studies have demonstrated an association between nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) exposure and enhanced susceptibility to, and severity of, CDI. NSAIDs target cyclooxygenase enzymes and inhibit the production of prostaglandins (PGs), but the therapeutic potential of exogenous introduction of PGs for the treatment of CDI has not been explored. In this study, we report that treatment with the FDA-approved stable PGE₁ analogue, misoprostol, protects mice against C. difficile-associated mortality, intestinal pathology, and CDI-mediated intestinal permeability. Furthermore, we report that the effect of misopros

SUBMITTER: Zackular JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6697607 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature