高劑量的抗生素可能促進細菌繁殖

研究表明，高劑量的抗生素可能促進細菌繁殖

Using higher doses of antibiotics in a bid to tackle the growing problem of drug resistance may end up strengthening certain bacteria, according to research released yesterday that highlights a previously unthought-of risk.

昨日公布的一項研究顯示，為解決日益嚴重的耐藥性問題而使用更高劑量的抗生素，可能最終會進一步加強某些細菌的耐藥性。這項研究突顯了一種以前考慮的風險。

Antimicrobial resistance has been labeled by the United Nations as “one of the greatest threats we face as a global community” and is predicted to kill 10 million annually by 2050.

聯(lián)合國已將抗菌素耐藥性列為“全球所面臨的最大威脅之一”，預計到2050年，每年有1000萬人因此死亡。

Previous research has shown inflicting higher antibiotic doses on bacteria can slow its ability to develop resistance, yet little attention has been paid to how those higher doses impact the overall health of microbes.

先前的研究已經(jīng)表明，對細菌施加更高的抗生素劑量可以減緩其產(chǎn)生抗藥性的能力，然而很少有人關(guān)注這些更高劑量的抗生素對整體健康的影響。

A team of Britain- and Europe-based researchers looked at how populations of E. coli reacted to varying concentrations of three common antibiotics.

一個由英國和歐洲的研究人員組成的團隊，研究了大腸桿菌對三種不同劑量的常見抗生素的反應。

They found that while higher antibiotic doses slowed the rate at which the bacteria developed resistance, they also gave rise to bacteria with “higher overall fitness” — meaning it had a higher rate of reproduction.

他們發(fā)現(xiàn)，雖然較高的抗生素劑量減緩了細菌產(chǎn)生耐藥性的速度，但它們也會產(chǎn)生“整體適應性較高”的細菌——這意味著細菌具有了更高的繁殖率。

“We consider growth rate as a proxy for fitness, under the assumption that a strain that grows faster is more likely to take over the population and become dominant,” said lead author Mato Lagator, from the University of Manchester’s School of Biological Sciences.

來自曼徹斯特大學生物科學學院的主要作者馬托·拉加特說: “我們認為生長速度是健康的一個代表，前提是生長更快的菌株更有可能接管種群并占據(jù)主導。”。

The team behind the research, published in the journal Royal Society Biology Letters, said it showed how higher antibiotic doses presented a “dilemma” and could result in ultimately more-resistant bacteria.

這項研究發(fā)表在《皇家學會生物學快報》(Royal Society Biology Letters)上。研究團隊表示，研究顯示，高劑量的抗生素是一個“兩難”的選擇，并最終導致耐藥性更強的細菌產(chǎn)生。

“Considering the fitness of the evolved strains adds another dimension to the problem of optimal antibiotic dosing.”

“考慮進化菌株的適應性，為抗生素最佳劑量問題增加了另一個維度。”

Several studies have warned of the risks of antibiotic over-prescription and over-use in livestock rearing, with the US Center for Disease Control estimating that one in three prescriptions for antibiotics are unnecessary.

美國疾病控制中心(US Center for Disease Control)估計，三分之一的抗生素處方?jīng)]有必要。