Antibiotics; the Miracle Drugs, also a Predisposing Factor of Obesity

Author: Tuhina Nasrin Ali, Malay Mitra and Avishek Ghosh

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Abstract

We live in the era of antibiotics. This particular group of medicines has remarkable efficiency to treat infections with reduced morbidity and mortality and thus conquer the title of miracle drugs. But their enormous use without proper guidelines is a precursor of antibiotic resistance as well as is a raising concern of long-term metabolic changes in our body. In this review we emphasis on the impact of dysbiosis resulting from antibiotic exposure on body weight gain. Evidences tell us early life repeated exposures are unlikely to be a predisposing factor of offspring obesity. Pre-natal antibiotic use is also a contributory to this. Sex-specific effect is there: boys are more vulnerable compare to girls. Although the mechanisms underlining the association remain unexplained, the little we found out is this action is due to the byproducts of microbial fermentation, gut hormone alteration, metabolic entoxeamia and fasting induced adipocyte factor (Fiaf). Since randomized control trial (RCT) deals with the safety of the participants, it would be ethical concern in this regard and consumption of antibiotic doesn’t show immediate effect on body mass index (BMI) while it usually increases the body fat at the later stages of life, additional well-designed longitudinal prospective cohort studies have been undertaken. More similar type of researches involving human regarding this issue necessitate for better explanation and ultimately to control the global epidemic obesity.

Keywords

Antibiotics, Dysbiosis, Obesity, BMI, SCFA, Bacterial components

Conclusion

This review has demonstrated that antibiotic exposure is a predisposing factor of obesity. Association is more marked for early life repeated exposures and particularly for the male child. We found out the children of the mother having a history of antibiotic use during pregnancy are also vulnerable. We are having still many unanswered questions such as class, dose, timing and mechanism. The little we know is use of antibiotics altering the biodiversity of gut microbiota and metabolites of them led to weight gain by their effect on body metabolisms. Randomized control trials would be unethical in this regards, further longitudinal human studies where these kinds of effects are secondary outcomes could elicit explanation.

References

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How to cite this article

Tuhina Nasrin Ali, Malay Mitra and Avishek Ghosh (2023). Antibiotics; the Miracle Drugs, also a Predisposing Factor of Obesity. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(5): 169-179.