Gut Microbiota-brain Axis - PubMed (original) (raw)

Review

Gut Microbiota-brain Axis

Hong-Xing Wang et al. Chin Med J (Engl). 2016.

Abstract

Objective: To systematically review the updated information about the gut microbiota-brain axis.

Data sources: All articles about gut microbiota-brain axis published up to July 18, 2016, were identified through a literature search on PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science, with the keywords of "gut microbiota", "gut-brain axis", and "neuroscience".

Study selection: All relevant articles on gut microbiota and gut-brain axis were included and carefully reviewed, with no limitation of study design.

Results: It is well-recognized that gut microbiota affects the brain's physiological, behavioral, and cognitive functions although its precise mechanism has not yet been fully understood. Gut microbiota-brain axis may include gut microbiota and their metabolic products, enteric nervous system, sympathetic and parasympathetic branches within the autonomic nervous system, neural-immune system, neuroendocrine system, and central nervous system. Moreover, there may be five communication routes between gut microbiota and brain, including the gut-brain's neural network, neuroendocrine-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, gut immune system, some neurotransmitters and neural regulators synthesized by gut bacteria, and barrier paths including intestinal mucosal barrier and blood-brain barrier. The microbiome is used to define the composition and functional characteristics of gut microbiota, and metagenomics is an appropriate technique to characterize gut microbiota.

Conclusions: Gut microbiota-brain axis refers to a bidirectional information network between the gut microbiota and the brain, which may provide a new way to protect the brain in the near future.

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Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1

Gut microbiota-brain axis. Five possible communication routes (❶–❺) between gut microbiota and brain: intestinal mucosal barrier and blood-brain barrier (❺) is the important base for neuroendocrine-HPA axis pathway (❷), gut immune system (❸), and gut microbiota metabolism system (❹). Substances produced by neuroendocrine-HPA axis pathway (❷), gut immune system (❸), and gut microbiota metabolism system (❹), only into the system circulation and brain through the intestinal mucosal barrier and blood-brain barrier system can play effect of gut microbiota on the brain. HPA: Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal.

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