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Liver injury from ampicillin-induced intestinal microbiota distresses in rats fed carbohydrate- and protein-rich diets
Bhat, Ramesa Shafi & Al-daihan, Sooad
Abstract
Purpose:
To investigate the effect of ampicillin on rat intestinal microflora and liver in the presence of
high carbohydrate and protein diets.
Methods:
Male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups. The first group served as the control,
the second group was treated with ampicillin (50 mg/kg for 3 weeks) and fed with a standard diet, while
the third and fourth groups were treated with the same dose of ampicillin and fed with acarbohydrateand
protein-rich diets, respectively, to observe the effect of diet on gut flora and liver. Fecal specimens
were collected and used for qualitative determination of gut microbiota composition. Serum hepatospecific
markers (AST, ALT and ALP) were estimated. The antioxidant status of liver tissues was
estimated for GSH, MDA, GST, LDH and vitamin C l, in addition to sodium and potassium.
Results:
Administration of orogastric dose of ampicillin for 3 weeks induced inhibition of E.coli, yeasts,
total anaerobes, and anaerobic lactobacilli with new growth of P. vulgaris and K. pneumonia. The levels
of serum AST, ALT and ALP showed significant (p ˂ 0.05) increase to 163, 112.38 and 115.35 %,
respectively in ampicillin-treated animals, compared to control. Also significant (p ˂ 0.05) increase in
lipid peroxidation (120 %) and LDH (111 %) coupled with significant (p ˂ 0.05) decrease in glutathione
(74.57 %), vitamin C (63.49 %) and glutathione S-transferase (41.51 %) were observed in ampicillintreated
groups. No significant variation (p ˂ 0.05) in sodium and potassium levels were found between
control and the treated group after 3 weeks of treatment.
Conclusion:
These results confirm that extended ampicillin therapy disrupts gut flora, which results in
liver injury; hence, overuse of antibiotics should be avoid.
Keywords
Ampicillin; Gut microbiota; Overgrowth; Dietary Strategies;Liver
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