Key Points

However, it has been unclear which of these disruptions might be readily tolerated and which disruptions increase the risk of health complications.

In the new study, researchers from Yale University in the US identified several common prescription, non-antibiotic drugs that altered the gut microbiome, and discovered that at least one of these drugs triggers mice to produce anti-microbial agents that target their own gut microbes.

The findings, published in the journal Nature, suggest the microbiome could influence why some people respond well to drugs, while others don't. And it could be a target for improving drug responses in individuals.

Individuals with disrupted microbiomes are also at increased risk of gastrointestinal (GI) infection because decreased colonisation resistance makes it more difficult for gut microbes to fight off pathogens, the researchers said.

For the study, the team analysed over a decade's worth of medical records and pharmacy claims data from 1 million anonymous individuals enrolled in universal health insurance in Montreal, Canada, to determine the incidence of GI infections.

"We found prescription drugs that increased people's risk of infections to the same degree that antibiotics would," said Andrew Goodman, Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis, chair of microbial pathogenesis at Yale School of Medicine.

Based on their findings, the researchers selected 21 drugs for further study.

To explore how these prescription drugs impacted the microbiome, the researchers treated mice with each drug and analysed faecal samples collected from the mice before the first dose and after the final dose.

The researchers found that about half of the drugs were associated with changes in microbiome composition.

And four -- congestive heart failure medication digoxin, anti-seizure and anti-anxiety drug clonazepam, stomach acid-reducer pantoprazole, and anti-psychotic medication quetiapine -- were also associated with an increased risk of infection following pathogen exposure.

- IANS