Microbiome-antibiotic-immune interactions influence mortality in preterm infant gut microbiota-humanized gnotobiotic mice.

Ampicillin with probenecid in microbiota-humanized gnotobiotic mice is linked to death in pups whose gut microbiota includes ampicillin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, with increased permeability and systemic microbial spread.

• Why it matters: Preterm infants often receive empiric antibiotics for suspected infection, but the specific antibiotic effects on gut microbes and immune outcomes are unclear, limiting risk assessment.
• What they did: Humanized gnotobiotic mice were generated by gavaging preterm infant stool into germ-free dams, then pups received subcutaneous antibiotics with probenecid to model sepsis regimens.
• The result: Meropenem with probenecid is linked to death when microbiota includes gelatinase-expressing Enterococcus faecalis, and E. faecalis strains with gelE and fsr increase after meropenem in human preterm infant gut microbiomes.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.