Reviewing the role of gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of depression and exploring new therapeutic options

Abstract

The relationship between gut microbiota (GM) and mental health is one of the focuses of psychobiology research. In recent years, the microbial-gut-brain axis (MGBA) concept has gradually formed about this bidirectional communication between gut and brain. But how the GM is involved in regulating brain function and how they affect emotional disorders these mechanisms are tenuous and limited to animal research, and often controversial. Therefore, in this review, we attempt to summarize and categorize the latest advances in current research on the mechanisms of GM and depression to provide valid information for future diagnoses and therapy of mental disorders. Finally, we introduced some antidepressant regimens that can help restore gut dysbiosis, including classic antidepressants, Chinese materia medica (CMM), diet, and exogenous strains. These studies provide further insight into GM’s role and potential pathways in emotion-related diseases, which holds essential possible clinical outcomes for people with depression or related psychiatric disorders. Future research should focus on clarifying the causal role of GM in disease and developing microbial targets, applying these findings to the prevention and treatment of depression.

Exploring the Influence of Gut–Brain Axis Modulation on Cognitive Health: A Comprehensive Review of Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Symbiotics

“…Ongoing studies aim to deepen our understanding of the interactions within the microbiome-gut-brain axis, particularly exploring mechanisms between the gastrointestinal tract and the nervous system [122,[156][157][158][159][160][161][162][163][164][165][166][167][168][169][170][171]. Future research should focus on more precise analyses and explorations of the composition of gut microbiota, identifying which strains are dominantly associated with conditions such as anxiety, depression, Parkinson's disease, and other psychiatric and cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer's disease [172][173][174][175][176][177][178][179][180][181][182][183][184]. Areas that remain less explored, such as the various negative associations of different bacterial strains, including inflammatory diseases, neuroinflammation, and metabolic disorders or postpartum depression, require further investigation for a deeper understanding.…”

Acupuncture treatment for post-stroke depression: Intestinal microbiota and its role

“…According to some available research, changes in the composition of the gut microbiome were strongly associated with the severity of PSD, as shown in Figure 1 (Jiang et al, 2015;Ye et al, 2021). A neuro-endocrine-immune network exists between the brain and gut flora, called the brain-gut axis, which communicates two-way signals, and the gastrointestinal tract is closely linked to the brain mainly through neural and humoral pathways, allowing this network to circulate and reinforce each other (Begum et al, 2022;Han et al, 2022). Studies have shown that long-term stress responses in depressed patients increase intestinal wall permeability, making it easier for aggressive bacteria or antigens to translocate to the lymphatic system or circulatory system, and then activating immune cells to trigger serum IgA and IgM production, then causing depressive episodes through systemic inflammation (Maes et al, 2008(Maes et al, , 2012O'Malley et al, 2010), or microbial metabolites are more easily to enter the blood circulation through the intestinal wall and pass the blood-brain barrier (BBB), directly affecting the cognitive and behavioral functions of the body (Rao et al, 2021).…”

Obesity Improves Neuronal Metabolism and Functional Hyperemia in a Rat Model of Early Ad Pathology

“…Brain glucose metabolism is reduced in normal aging and in AD (Bi et Sadowski et al 2004), and is accompanied by a progressive decrease in cerebral blood ow (Fabiani et al 2014). Glucose hypometabolism and typically arises, like the cerebral hypoperfusion (Binnewijzend et al 2016;Cantin et al 2011), before the clinical onset of AD (An et Mosconi 2005), thus being a potential target for AD prevention and early treatment (Liang et al 2023).…”