Cited by 191Gut microbiota and healthTryptophan and brain disordersGastrointestinal motility and disorders

Crosstalk between the microbiota-gut-brain axis and depression

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Du, Yu, Gao, Xin-Ran, Peng, Lei, Ge, Jin-Fang·2020·Heliyon

Abstract

Nutritional and microbiological psychiatry, especially the contribution of the gut microbiota to depression, has become a promising research field over the past several decades. An imbalance in the "microbiota-gut-brain axis", which reflects the constant bidirectional communication between the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract, has been used as a hypothesis to interpret the pathogenesis of depression. Alterations in gut microbiota composition could increase the permeability of the gut barrier, activate systemic inflammation and immune responses, regulate the release and efficacy of monoamine neurotransmitters, alter the activity and function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and modify the abundance of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), eventually leading to depression. In this article, we review changes in gut microbiota in depressive states, the association between these changes and depression-like behavior, the potential mechanism linking gut microbiota disruptions and depression, and preliminary attempts at using gut microbiota intervention for the treatment of depression. In summary, although the link between gut microbiota and depression and the potential mechanism have been discussed, a more detailed mechanistic understanding is needed to fully realize the importance of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in depression. Future efforts should aim to determine the potential causative mechanisms, which will require further animal and clinical research as well as the development of analytical approaches.

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  • Initial clinical evidence of MGB interactions primarily stems from associations between dysbiosis and CNS disorders, such as autism, anxiety-depressive behaviors, and functional gastrointestinal disorders.

    “Initial clinical evidence of MGB interactions primarily stems from associations between dysbiosis and CNS disorders, such as autism, anxiety-depressive behaviors, and functional gastrointestinal disorders (63, 65–72).”

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Authors
Du, Y., Gao, X.-R., Peng, L., & Ge, J.-F.
Affiliations
Anhui Medical University (CN)
Corresponding author
Ge, Jin-Fang
Venue
Heliyon
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-06
Volume
6
Issue
6
Pages
e04097
ISSN
2405-8440 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3033040644
Cited by
191
References
133
Citations by year
2026: 21 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 56 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 3
FWCI
2.49
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Heliyon (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
National Natural Science Foundation of China (81870403, 81401122)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Gastroenterology › Gastrointestinal motility and disorders
Keywords
microbiota-gut-brain axis, depression, gut microbiota, intestinal permeability, systemic inflammation, monoamines, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, depression-like behavior, nutritional psychiatry

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