Gut microbiota and depression Pathophysiology of depression: hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and microbiota-gut-brain axis
- 1 December 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Der Nervenarzt
- Vol. 91 (12), 1108-1114
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00115-020-01029-1
Abstract
Depression is a chronic disease with a complex multifactorial and still not fully clarified etiology. Due to new insights after recent investigations of the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis, a relationship between a disrupted gut microbiota composition and the probability to develop a depression can be assumed. This hypothesis is supported by evidence that there is a strong communication between gut microbiota and the central nervous system (CNS) and that this communication is mediated through the MGB axis. Apparently, this bidirectional axis can be modulated by environmental factors, such as stress, pharmaceuticals (in particular antibiotics) and dietary habits. Moreover, modulation of this axis can also result in mood alterations. As the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a key element regulating the MGB axis and is also related to the pathophysiology of depression, it is important to understand the relationship between both biological systems. An English language literature search was conducted using the biomedical database PubMed. We used combined terms, such as "gut microbiota", "depression", "hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis" or "microbiota-gut-brain axis". The current literature supports the idea that the MGB axis has an impact on the risk to develop depression and that stress modulation through the HPA axis plays a key role in this context.Keywords
This publication has 35 references indexed in Scilit:
- Increased IgA and IgM responses against gut commensals in chronic depression: Further evidence for increased bacterial translocation or leaky gutJournal of Affective Disorders, 2012
- The interplay between the intestinal microbiota and the brainNature Reviews Microbiology, 2012
- Cortisol reactivity to social stress in adolescents: Role of depression severity and child maltreatmentPsychoneuroendocrinology, 2011
- A human gut microbial gene catalogue established by metagenomic sequencingNature, 2010
- The Relationship Between Intestinal Microbiota and the Central Nervous System in Normal Gastrointestinal Function and DiseaseGastroenterology, 2009
- Early Life Stress Alters Behavior, Immunity, and Microbiota in Rats: Implications for Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Psychiatric IllnessesBiological Psychiatry, 2009
- Impact of consuming a milk drink containing a probiotic on mood and cognitionEuropean Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2006
- Nutritional Approach to Restore Impaired Intestinal Barrier Function and Growth After Neonatal Stress in RatsJournal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 2006
- Diversity of the Human Intestinal Microbial FloraScience, 2005
- Host-Bacterial Mutualism in the Human IntestineScience, 2005