Altered gut microbiota profile in patients with perimenopausal panic disorder

Shen Lin; Hongjin Wang; Jingjing Qiu; Minghong Li; Ebin Gao; Xiaofeng Wu; Yunxiang Xu; Guizhen Chen

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1139992

Altered gut microbiota profile in patients with perimenopausal panic disorder

Front Psychiatry. 2023 May 25:14:1139992. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1139992. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Shen Lin¹, Hongjin Wang¹, Jingjing Qiu^{1

2}, Minghong Li¹, Ebin Gao³, Xiaofeng Wu^{1

2}, Yunxiang Xu¹, Guizhen Chen²

Affiliations

¹ Clinical Medical College of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
² The Bao'an District TCM Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
³ School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Females in the perimenopausal period are susceptible to mood disorders. Perimenopausal panic disorder (PPD) is characterized by repeated and unpredictable panic attacks during perimenopause, and it impacts the patient's physical and mental health and social function. Pharmacotherapy is limited in the clinic, and its pathological mechanism is unclear. Recent studies have demonstrated that gut microbiota is strongly linked to emotion; however, the relation between PPD and microbiota is limitedly known.

Methods: This study aimed to discover specific microbiota in PPD patients and the intrinsic connection between them. Gut microbiota was analyzed in PPD patients (n = 40) and healthy controls (n = 40) by 16S rRNA sequencing.

Results: The results showed reduced α-diversity (richness) in the gut microbiota of PPD patients. β-diversity indicated that PPD and healthy controls had different intestinal microbiota compositions. At the genus level, 30 species of microbiota abundance had significantly different between the PPD and healthy controls. In addition, HAMA, PDSS, and PASS scales were collected in two groups. It was found that Bacteroides and Alistipes were positively correlated with PASS, PDSS, and HAMA.

Discussion: Bacteroides and Alistipes dysbiosis dominate imbalanced microbiota in PPD patients. This microbial alteration may be a potential pathogenesis and physio-pathological feature of PPD. The distinct gut microbiota can be a potential diagnostic marker and a new therapeutic target for PPD.

Keywords: 16S rRNA; gut microbiota; inflammation; panic disorder; perimenopause; tryptophan.

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos: 81574064 and 81473755), the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (No: 2023A1515011123), the Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Committee (No: JCYJ20210324124613037), and the Shenzhen Bao'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Development Foundation (No: 2022KJCX-ZJZL-9).