Grant: Project Grant

Antibiotics are life-saving drugs that have considerably reduced the rates of human death and disease and were thought to have minimal long-term adverse effects. However, recent research suggests that when antibiotics are given in early life, either to pregnant mothers or to infants, intestinal bacteria can be disrupted and result in increased risk of obesity and asthma in later life. Intestinal bacteria are less stable in early life and therefore susceptible to their environment including antibiotics but also diet. Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients like fiber that selectively feed health promoting bacteria in the gut. Their intake is associated with lower body weight and fat mass, improved glucose control and reduced inflammation. Given the current epidemic of childhood obesity and the high prevalence of infant antibiotic exposure, research is needed to develop strategies to reduce obesity risk, especially when early life antibiotic treatment cannot be avoided. Given that prebiotics positively modify intestinal bacteria, there is the potential that consuming them at the same time as antibiotics could provide protection. Two situations that are highly relevant to real life will be examined. The first experiment will examine whether giving prebiotics (inulin and oligofructose) to pregnant rats at the same time that they receive antibiotics will reduce the risk of obesity in their offspring. The second experiment will examine whether giving prebiotics to very young rats at the same time as antibiotics will reduce their risk of developing obesity later in life. Fecal transplant studies will help us determine the direct role of intestinal bacteria in providing protection with prebiotics. This work will provide important insight into whether prebiotics can reverse some of the metabolic risk of early life antibiotic exposure. Overall, this work has the potential to identify a novel therapy for reducing the burden of obesity and improving longterm health.