Posts Tagged ‘antibiotics’

The Microbiome in Diverticular Disease

Thursday, November 10th, 2016

New techniques which identify individual species have lead to an explosion of research into the role of bacteria in the colon. The terms ‘microbiota’ (the bacteria) and ‘microbiome’ (the collection of bacteria) are widely used. Some researchers consider the microbiome as equivalent to a body organ. It is certainly a significant, integral and specific part of the digestive system in man and animals. In protein-eating humans the microbiome is in the caecum, the first bag-like part of the large intestine which receives the residues of digestion and has enzymes which degrade amino acids from proteins. In herbivores the microbiome is in an earlier part of the digestive system to deal with large quantities of plant material to extract maximum nutrients for its host with enzymes to synthesise amino acids (1). The microbiome in humans can have both beneficial and unhelpful effects. Its position in the human body and the role of an associated appendix had not been considered apart from the letter on this website (2). The appendix is no longer considered a vestigial organ (3), contains extremely variable bacteria (4) and may be involved in microbiome changes (5).

Differences in the bacteria present in the microbiome have been found in conditions  such as obesity, autoimmune diseases, autism and bowel disease including diverticular disease (DD). The microbiome and its surrounding immune system are linked (6).

  • Is the microbiome content a cause or an effect of a disease?
  • Is the presence of a specific organism significant?
  • Could the microbiome be changed to treat a disease?

These are the questions research is trying to answer. Bacteria will only survive and flourish if the conditions and nutrients are right for the species. There is great variation both between and within people, with age and even with geographical location. So far only diet appears to make a difference (1, 7). Does the microbiome match dietary residues and the disease affect diet? (more…)

RIFAXIMIN – a potential treatment for diverticular disease

Thursday, July 7th, 2011

 

Rifaximin is a synthetic antibiotic, a modification of rifamycin which was originally produced by the  microbe Streptomyces mediterranei. Rifaximin should not be confused with rifampicin which is used under brand names and in combined treatments particularly for Tuberculosis infections.

Rifaximin passes through the digestive system virtually unabsorbed and unchanged so retaining its antimicrobial activity and concentration level inside the colon. (more…)