Gut Microbiome in Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

Abstract

The gut microbiome plays critical roles in human health and disease. Recent studies suggest it may also be associated with chronic pain and postoperative pain outcomes. In animal models, the composition of the gut microbiome changes after general anesthesia and affects the host response to medications, including anesthetics and opioids. In humans, the gut microbiome is associated with the development of postoperative pain and neurocognitive disorders. Additionally, the composition of the gut microbiome has been associated with pain conditions including visceral pain, nociplastic pain, complex regional pain syndrome, and headaches, partly through altered concentration of circulating bacterial-derived metabolites. Furthermore, animal studies demonstrate the critical role of the gut microbiome in neuropathic pain via immunomodulatory mechanisms. This article reviews basic concepts of the human gut microbiome and its interactions with the host and provide a comprehensive overview of the evidence linking the gut microbiome to anesthesiology, critical care, and pain medicine.

Implication of intestinal microbiota in the etiopathogenesis of fibromyalgia: A systematic review

“…27 In fact, intestinal dysbiosis in FM patients has been reported in numerous studies, most of which were based on sequencing techniques and microbiome analysis. 17,19,25,29,30 In contrast, Minerbi et al 19 did not find any variation in composition between individuals with FM and healthy controls. However, with higher-resolution molecular techniques, significant and similar variations have been observed in these patients.…”

“…Some genera, such as Clostridium, Bacteroides, Coprococcus, or Ruminococcus, showed higher levels in patients with the disease. 18,19,22,28 Conversely, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Eubacterium, Lachnospiraceae, Blautia faecis, Prevotella copri, or Faecalibacterium prausnitzii showed decreased levels. 18,25,28,29 These quantitative variations consequently generate qualitative dysfunctions that are primarily linked to some pathogenic effects and differential levels of various bacterial metabolites in FM patients.…”

Editorial: The mechanism and interventions of aging-related cognitive impairment in perioperative context

“…They partially attributed the decreased incidence of cognitive impairment to improved pain relief in the surgical patients. The gut microbiome plays essential roles in human health and disease (Minerbi and Shen, 2022). Emerging findings suggest it may also be associated with PND in preclinical studies.…”

Genetically supported causality between gut microbiota, gut metabolites and low back pain: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

“…A growing body of evidence suggests that gut microbiota dysbiosis is associated with metabolic, immune, neurological and musculoskeletal disorders (Moon et al, 2018;Strandwitz, 2018;Boer et al, 2019). Recent studies suggest that gut microbiome may also be associated with pain condition including visceral pain, nociplastic pain, complex regional pain syndrome and headaches (Minerbi and Shen, 2022). A cohort study reported that patients with back pain showed a higher abundance of Adlercreutzia, Roseburia, and Uncl.…”