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Aburto MR, Cryan JF. Gastrointestinal and brain barriers: unlocking gates of communication across the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 21:222-247. [PMID: 38355758 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-023-00890-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Crosstalk between gut and brain has long been appreciated in health and disease, and the gut microbiota is a key player in communication between these two distant organs. Yet, the mechanisms through which the microbiota influences development and function of the gut-brain axis remain largely unknown. Barriers present in the gut and brain are specialized cellular interfaces that maintain strict homeostasis of different compartments across this axis. These barriers include the gut epithelial barrier, the blood-brain barrier and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier. Barriers are ideally positioned to receive and communicate gut microbial signals constituting a gateway for gut-microbiota-brain communication. In this Review, we focus on how modulation of these barriers by the gut microbiota can constitute an important channel of communication across the gut-brain axis. Moreover, barrier malfunction upon alterations in gut microbial composition could form the basis of various conditions, including often comorbid neurological and gastrointestinal disorders. Thus, we should focus on unravelling the molecular and cellular basis of this communication and move from simplistic framing as 'leaky gut'. A mechanistic understanding of gut microbiota modulation of barriers, especially during critical windows of development, could be key to understanding the aetiology of gastrointestinal and neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- María R Aburto
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| | - John F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Sah RK, Nandan A, Kv A, S P, S S, Jose A, Venkidasamy B, Nile SH. Decoding the role of the gut microbiome in gut-brain axis, stress-resilience, or stress-susceptibility: A review. Asian J Psychiatr 2024; 91:103861. [PMID: 38134565 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Increased exposure to stress is associated with stress-related disorders, including depression, anxiety, and neurodegenerative conditions. However, susceptibility to stress is not seen in every individual exposed to stress, and many of them exhibit resilience. Thus, developing resilience to stress could be a big breakthrough in stress-related disorders, with the potential to replace or act as an alternative to the available therapies. In this article, we have focused on the recent advancements in gut microbiome research and the potential role of the gut-brain axis (GBA) in developing resilience or susceptibility to stress. There might be a complex interaction between the autonomic nervous system (ANS), immune system, endocrine system, microbial metabolites, and bioactive lipids like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), neurotransmitters, and their metabolites that regulates the communication between the gut microbiota and the brain. High fiber intake, prebiotics, probiotics, plant supplements, and fecal microbiome transplant (FMT) could be beneficial against gut dysbiosis-associated brain disorders. These could promote the growth of SCFA-producing bacteria, thereby enhancing the gut barrier and reducing the gut inflammatory response, increase the expression of the claudin-2 protein associated with the gut barrier, and maintain the blood-brain barrier integrity by promoting the expression of tight junction proteins such as claudin-5. Their neuroprotective effects might also be related to enhancing the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1). Further investigations are needed in the field of the gut microbiome for the elucidation of the mechanisms by which gut dysbiosis contributes to the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjay Kumar Sah
- Department of Pharmacology, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Sciences Campus, Kochi 682 041, Kerala, India
| | - Amritasree Nandan
- Department of Pharmacology, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Sciences Campus, Kochi 682 041, Kerala, India
| | - Athira Kv
- Department of Pharmacology, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Sciences Campus, Kochi 682 041, Kerala, India.
| | - Prashant S
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Sciences Campus, Kochi 682 041, Kerala, India
| | - Sathianarayanan S
- NITTE (Deemed to be University), NGSM Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Mangalore, India
| | - Asha Jose
- JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education and research, Ooty 643001, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Baskar Venkidasamy
- Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai 600 077, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Shivraj Hariram Nile
- Division of Food and Nutritional Biotechnology, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Sector-81, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India.
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Doney E, Bernatchez R, Clavet-Fournier V, Dudek KA, Dion-Albert L, Lavoie-Cardinal F, Menard C. Characterizing the blood-brain barrier and gut barrier with super-resolution imaging: opportunities and challenges. Neurophotonics 2023; 10:044410. [PMID: 37799760 PMCID: PMC10548114 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.10.4.044410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Brain and gut barriers have been receiving increasing attention in health and diseases including in psychiatry. Recent studies have highlighted changes in the blood-brain barrier and gut barrier structural properties, notably a loss of tight junctions, leading to hyperpermeability, passage of inflammatory mediators, stress vulnerability, and the development of depressive behaviors. To decipher the cellular processes actively contributing to brain and gut barrier function in health and disease, scientists can take advantage of neurophotonic tools and recent advances in super-resolution microscopy techniques to complement traditional imaging approaches like confocal and electron microscopy. Here, we summarize the challenges, pros, and cons of these innovative approaches, hoping that a growing number of scientists will integrate them in their study design exploring barrier-related properties and mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Doney
- Université Laval, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Quebec City, Québec, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Renaud Bernatchez
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Québec City, Québec, Canada
- Institute for Intelligence and Data, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Katarzyna A. Dudek
- Université Laval, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Quebec City, Québec, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Laurence Dion-Albert
- Université Laval, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Quebec City, Québec, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Flavie Lavoie-Cardinal
- Université Laval, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Quebec City, Québec, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Québec City, Québec, Canada
- Institute for Intelligence and Data, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Caroline Menard
- Université Laval, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Quebec City, Québec, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Québec City, Québec, Canada
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Bendriss G, MacDonald R, McVeigh C. Microbial Reprogramming in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders: A Review of Gut-Brain Communication and Emerging Evidence. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11978. [PMID: 37569349 PMCID: PMC10419219 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241511978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental health disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Dysbiosis, an imbalance in the gut microbial composition, has been associated with various health conditions, including mental health disorders, autism, and inflammatory diseases. While the exact mechanisms underlying OCD remain unclear, this review presents a growing body of evidence suggesting a potential link between dysbiosis and the multifaceted etiology of OCD, interacting with genetic, neurobiological, immunological, and environmental factors. This review highlights the emerging evidence implicating the gut microbiota in the pathophysiology of OCD and its potential as a target for novel therapeutic approaches. We propose a model that positions dysbiosis as the central unifying element in the neurochemical, immunological, genetic, and environmental factors leading to OCD. The potential and challenges of microbial reprogramming strategies, such as probiotics and fecal transplants in OCD therapeutics, are discussed. This review raises awareness of the importance of adopting a holistic approach that considers the interplay between the gut and the brain to develop interventions that account for the multifaceted nature of OCD and contribute to the advancement of more personalized approaches.
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