Effects of prophylactic antibiotics administration on barrier properties of intestinal mucosa and mucus from preterm born piglets

Early intervention and short-duration treatments with antibiotics in premature infants are reported to reduce the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a terrible disease with severe inflammation and impaired intestinal barrier properties. Yet, it is unclear how antibiotics exposure, as well as route of administration used for dosing, can minimize the risk of NEC. With this study, we aimed to investigate if and how administration of antibiotics may affect the barrier properties of intestinal mucosa and mucus. We compared how parenteral (PAR) and a combination of enteral and parenteral (ENT+PAR) ampicillin and gentamicin given to preterm born piglets within 48 h after birth affected both barrier and physical properties of ex vivo small intestinal mucosa and mucus. Permeation of the markers mannitol, metoprolol, and fluorescein-isothiocyanate dextran of 4 kDa (FD4) and 70 kDa (FD70) through the mucosa and mucus was evaluated. For all markers, permeation through the mucosa and mucus collected from PAR piglets tended to be reduced when compared to that observed using untreated piglets. In contrast, permeation through the mucosa and mucus collected from ENT+PAR piglets tended to be similar to that observed for untreated piglets. Additionally, rheological measurements on the mucus from PAR piglets and ENT+PAR piglets displayed a decreased G ' and G '/G '' ratio and decreased viscosity at 0.4 s(-1) as well as lower stress stability compared to the mucus from untreated piglets.

Automated summary

Early intervention and short-duration antibiotics treatment in premature infants can reduce the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), but it is unclear how antibiotics exposure and route of administration affect the disease risk. This study investigated the effects of ampicillin and gentamicin administered through parenteral or a combination of enteral and parenteral routes on the barrier properties of intestinal mucosa and mucus in preterm piglets. Results showed that permeation through mucosa and mucus was reduced in parenterally treated piglets compared to untreated piglets, while treatments with both routes showed similar permeation to untreated piglets. Rheological measurements also showed changes in mucus properties.