The Microbiome–Gut–Brain Axis, a Potential Therapeutic Target for Substance-Related Disorders

Abstract

Substance addiction is a complex worldwide public health problem. It endangers both personal life and social stability, causing great loss on economy. Substance-related disorder is considered to be a complicated chronic brain disorder. It resulted from interactions among pharmacological properties of addictive substances, individual susceptibility, and social–environmental factors. Unfortunately, there is still no ideal treatment for this disorder. Recent lines of evidence suggest that gut microbiome may play an important role in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders, including substance-related disorders. This review summarizes the research on the relationship between gut microbiome and substance-related disorders, including different types of substance, different individual susceptibility, and the occurrence and development of substance-induced mental disorders. We also discuss the potentiation of gut microbiome in the treatment of substance-related disorders, especially in the treatment of substance-induced mental disorders and manipulation on individuals’ responsiveness to addictive substances.

Prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Correlating H2 or CH4 production with severity of IBS

“…However, these results must be considered with certain reservations because other studies have found conflicting results 24 . As research progresses, the microbiota now appears as a potential therapeutic target in the management of neuropsychiatric pathologies 26,29,30 . The correlation between H 2 production and the HAD scale could also partly explain the negative correlation observed between H 2 levels and the QoL score (GIQLI score), as the latter gives high consideration to psychologic items.…”

“…It has been demonstrated that the intestinal microbiota is involved in mood disorders, as clear differences have been found between the intestinal microbiota of healthy subjects and those of patients with psychiatric disorders 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 and autism. 28 In the present study, the results of anxiety and depression scales were statistically comparable between the positive and control patients.…”

Potential roles of the gut microbiota in the manifestations of drug use disorders

“…The microbiota will become the frontier and center of disease prevention and treatment ( 84 ). Microbiological therapy may be a more comprehensive and multi-effect approach for some chronic and recurrent diseases ( 85 , 86 ). This is beneficial to the development of drugs for the treatment of DUDs.…”

Correlation between nicotine dependence and inflammatory biomarkers in Thai smokers: Eight weeks of synbiotic intervention

“…In cigarette smokers, nicotine is classified as a substance-induced/related addition. The gut microbiome-HPA-axis is proposed as a novel therapeutic target, delivering utility bioinformatics on additive manipulation and cessation [24]. Nicotine is the pivotal toxic compound related to craving, addiction behavior, and CYP450 gene expression.…”