Gut Microbiota Can Drive Neuroinflammation in Major Depressive Disorder
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Quote:The gut microbiota is an important bidirectional pathway between the gut and the brain, and the communication between the gut and the brain is substantiated by the comorbidity between gastrointestinal and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson disease⁶ and mood disorders, including MDD. Gut bacteria are essential in regulating brain development and function. Stress can dysregulate gut microbiota and stimulate proinflammatory cytokines.⁷ Probiotics influence gut microbiota and can indirectly influence neurological and psychiatric disorders. Researchers further indicate that imbalances in gut microbiota can allow increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and excessive production of inflammatory cytokines can pass the BBB and reach the brain resident cells. Microglial activation and inflammasome activation can be reduced by prebiotic treatment of gut microbiota, according to researchers, suggesting a possible treatment for age-related neuroinflammatory diseases.
Probiotics influence gut microbiota and can indirectly influence neurological and psychiatric disorders, according to researchers.
Both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in general have been shown to limit the effects of neurological disorders.⁸ Oral injection of Bifidobacterium resulted in increased resilience to defeat stress in mice. Imbalances in gut microbiota can allow increased permeability of the BBB, and excessive production of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1a, IL-1b, TNF-a, and IL-6,⁹ could pass the BBB and reach the brain resident cells, where they act on receptors expressed by neurons and glial cells.¹⁰ Microglial activation can be reduced by prebiotic treatment, suggesting a possible treatment for age-related neuroinflammatory diseases though reduction of monocyte infiltration into the brain.¹¹ Finally, according to researchers, the gut microbiota is related to the regulation of the kynurenine pathway, which plays an important role in the development of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Gut metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids can promote the production of serotonin from tryptophan, thus preventing typtophan conversion to the kynurenine pathway.¹²
'Historically, we may regard materialism as a system of dogma set up to combat orthodox dogma...Accordingly we find that, as ancient orthodoxies disintegrate, materialism more and more gives way to scepticism.'
- Bertrand Russell
- Bertrand Russell