Cited by 1,683Gut microbiota and healthTryptophan and brain disordersGastrointestinal motility and disorders

Transferring the blues: Depression-associated gut microbiota induces neurobehavioural changes in the rat

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Kelly, John R., Borre, Yuliya, O' Brien, Ciaran, Patterson, Elaine, El Aidy, Sahar, Deane, Jennifer, Kennedy, Paul J., Beers, Sasja +10 more·2016·Journal of Psychiatric Research

Abstract

The gut microbiota interacts with the host via neuroimmune, neuroendocrine and neural pathways. These pathways are components of the brain-gut-microbiota axis and preclinical evidence suggests that the microbiota can recruit this bidirectional communication system to modulate brain development, function and behaviour. The pathophysiology of depression involves neuroimmune-neuroendocrine dysregulation. However, the extent to which changes in gut microbiota composition and function mediate the dysregulation of these pathways is unknown. Thirty four patients with major depression and 33 matched healthy controls were recruited. Cytokines, CRP, Salivary Cortisol and plasma Lipopolysaccharide binding protein were determined by ELISA. Plasma tryptophan and kynurenine were determined by HPLC. Fecal samples were collected for 16s rRNA sequencing. A Fecal Microbiota transplantation was prepared from a sub group of depressed patients and controls and transferred by oral gavage to a microbiota-deficient rat model. We demonstrate that depression is associated with decreased gut microbiota richness and diversity. Fecal microbiota transplantation from depressed patients to microbiota-depleted rats can induce behavioural and physiological features characteristic of depression in the recipient animals, including anhedonia and anxiety-like behaviours, as well as alterations in tryptophan metabolism. This suggests that the gut microbiota may play a causal role in the development of features of depression and may provide a tractable target in the treatment and prevention of this disorder.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2016.07.019

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  • Various behavioral phenotypes can be transferred by FMT, including anxiety-like behavior and aspects of depressive symptomatology, suggesting that gut microbiota are key components of regulating anxiety and depression.

    “Such studies have found that various behavioral phenotypes can be transferred by FMT, including anxiety-like behavior and aspects of depressive symptomatology, suggesting that gut microbiota are key components of regulating anxiety and depression”

    From The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis (2019) · cites this paper as Kelly et al., 2016

  • Prior use of substances has been shown to increase the predisposition to depression; adolescent cannabis consumption has been associated with increased risk of developing the disorder in early adulthood.

    “Prior use of substances has been shown to increase the predisposition to depression; for example, adolescent cannabis consumption has been associated with increased risk of developing the disorder in early adulthood. 276”
  • Fecal microbiota transplantation from depressed individuals to microbiota-depleted rodents induced anxiety-like behavior, anhedonia and modifications in tryptophan biotransformation.

    “The authors observed that FMT from depressed individuals to microbiota-depleted rodents induced behavioral as well as physiological changes in the acceptors, i. e., the anxiety-like behavior, anhedonia and modifications in tryptophan biotransformation.”
  • Alteration of composition of bacterial communities in the gut caused by different stress has the potential to affect various metabolic pathways which may be involved in the development of depressive states.

    “It is widely accepted that the alteration of composition of bacterial communities in the gut caused by different stress have the potential to affect various metabolic pathways which may be involved in the development of depressive states [96,97].”
  • In depressive patients without IBS symptoms, the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was inversely correlated with the microbiota composition profiled in patients with IBS.

    “However, in depressive patients without IBS symptoms, the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was inversely correlated with the microbiota composition profiled in patients with IBS [145-147].”

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Authors
Kelly, J. R., Borre, Y., O' Brien, C., Patterson, E., El Aidy, S., Deane, J., Kennedy, P. J., Beers, S., Scott, K., Moloney, G., Hoban, A. E., Scott, L., Fitzgerald, P., Ross, P., Stanton, C., Clarke, G., Cryan, J. F., & Dinan, T. G.
Affiliations
  • University College Cork (IE)
  • Teagasc - The Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority (IE)
Corresponding author
Dinan, Timothy G.
Venue
Journal of Psychiatric Research
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-11
Volume
82
Pages
109-118
ISSN
0022-3956 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2292048640
Cited by
1,683
References
66
Citations by year
2026: 130 · 2025: 189 · 2024: 222 · 2023: 212 · 2022: 207 · 2021: 222 · 2020: 191 · 2019: 144 · 2018: 96 · 2017: 58 · 2016: 11
FWCI
53.55
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Psychiatric Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Ulster University Research Portal (Ulster University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • Science Foundation Ireland (SFI/12/RC/, 12/RC/2273, 12/RC/, SFI/12/RC/2273.)
  • APC Microbiome Institute (SFI/12/RC/2273)
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
depression, gut microbiota, brain-gut-microbiota axis, fecal microbiota transplantation, anhedonia, anxiety-like behavior, tryptophan metabolism, kynurenine, neuroimmune dysregulation, neuroendocrine dysfunction, cytokines, salivary cortisol, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, microbiome diversity
MeSH terms
Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Adult, Aged, Animals, C-Reactive Protein, Corticosterone, Depression, Disease Models, Animal, Feces, Female, Food Preferences, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Kynurenine, Lipopolysaccharides, Male, Middle Aged, RNA, Ribosomal, 16S, Case-Control Studies, Cytokines, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Maze Learning, Gastrointestinal Tract, Rats

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