Treatment and prevention of pathogenic bacterial overgrowth using butyrate-producing bacteria
A method of treating or preventing overgrowth by pathogenic bacteria in a subject deficient in butyrate and/or butyrate-producing bacteria in their gut microbiota by administering a therapeutically effective amount of a butyrate-producing bacteria to the subject is described. A prebiotic can be included with the butyrate-producing bacteria. Overgrowth by pathogenic bacteria is commonly caused by antibiotic administration.
1. A method of treating or preventing overgrowth by pathogenic bacteria in a subject, comprising determining that the subject is deficient in butyrate and/or butyrate-producing bacteria in their gut microbiota, and administering a therapeutically effective amount of a butyrate-yielding prebiotic and a butyrate-producing bacteria to the subject.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prebiotic is starch.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pathogenic bacteria is Clostridium difficile.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is deficient in butyrate-producing bacteria.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the butyrate-producing bacteria is Faecalibacterium prausnitzii.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is deficient in butyrate.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the butyrate-producing bacteria is administered orally.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is a human.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein overgrowth by pathogenic bacteria is prevented.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein overgrowth by pathogenic bacteria is treated.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the overgrowth by pathogenic bacteria is caused by antibiotic administration to the subject.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the antibiotic is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the butyrate-producing bacteria is administered to the subject a plurality of times over a week or more of time.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the butyrate-producing bacteria is administered in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier is a capsule.