Abstract
It is well known that the response to and metabolism of the drugs
entering human body varies widely across individuals, one of which the
reason is that such interpersonal differences may be related to gut
microbes. On one hand, drugs or xenobiotics entering into human body may
affect the composition of the gut microbiome; on the other hand, the gut
microbiota may alter the ADME process of drugs or xenobiotics vise
versa. But the majority of studies were focused on the interaction of
general population cohorts with the gut microbiota, which is not
compatible with the real clinic. For example, irritable bowel syndrome,
a common functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, of which the
gut microbiota is closely associated with the progression and treatment
of the disease. Under the disease status, the composition of the gut
microbiota is altered and affects the pharmacokinetics, efficacy and
toxicity of xenobiotics. With a regard to irritable bowel syndrome, few
researches reported that xenobiotics administration process was gut
microbial-mediated, while effected on drug efficacy and toxicity as
well. Thus, the correlation between gut microbiota and xenobiotics
administration, especially the drugs administered, needs to be
elucidated. This review links interpersonal differences between gut
microbiome and drug metabolism, which plays a significant role in the
implications for medical therapy and drug development in irritable bowel
syndrome indications. Key words: gut microbiota, gut microbiota-drug
interaction, xenobiotics, pharmacokinetics, probiotics