Are gut flora involved in development of type 1 diabetes?

July 4, 2006

Article is free online:

h33g2903v5307.pdf

Antibiotic treatment partially protects against type 1 diabetes in the

Bio-Breeding diabetes-prone rat. Is the gut flora involved in the

development of type 1 diabetes?

S. Brugman et al.

Abstract

Aims/hypothesis Accumulating data suggest that the gut immune system

plays a role in the development of type 1 diabetes. The intestinal flora

is essential for the development of the (gut) immune system and the

establishment of tolerance. It has been reported that oral administration

of food and bacterial antigens early in life suppresses later development

of diabetes in the Bio-Breeding diabetes-prone (BB-DP) rat. This study was

designed to investigate the possible relationship between the development

of diabetes and the composition of intestinal flora.

Materials and methods The intestinal flora of BB-DP rats, a rat model for

type 1 diabetes, was characterised long before the clinical onset of

diabetes by fluorescent in situ hybridisation. In a separate experiment,

BB-DP rats were treated with antibiotics and the effect on diabetes

incidence and level of insulitis was analysed.

Results We observed a difference in bacterial composition between rats

that eventually did and those that did not develop diabetes. This

difference was detectable long before clinical onset of the disease. Rats

that did not develop diabetes at a later age displayed a lower amount of

Bacteroides sp. Modulation of the intestinal flora through antibiotic

treatment decreased the incidence and delayed the onset of diabetes. A

combination of antibiotic treatment and a protective hydrolysed casein

diet completely prevented diabetes in the BB-DP rat.

Conclusions/interpretation Our data suggest that the intestinal flora is

involved in the development of type 1 diabetes. Factors influencing

composition of the intestinal flora could be a target for therapeutic

intervention.

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