Mood and microbes: a comprehensive review of intestinal microbiota's impact on depression

Front Psychiatry. 2024 Feb 9:15:1295766. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1295766. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Depression is considered a multifaceted and intricate mental disorder of growing concern due to its significant impact on global health issues. The human gut microbiota, also known as the "second brain," has an important role in the CNS by regulating it through chemical, immunological, hormonal, and neurological processes. Various studies have found a significant bidirectional link between the brain and the gut, emphasizing the onset of depression therapies. The biological and molecular processes underlying depression and microbiota are required, as the bidirectional association may represent a novel study. However, profound insights into the stratification and diversity of the gut microbiota are still uncommon. This article investigates the emerging evidence of a bacterial relationship between the gut and the brain's neurological system and its potential pathogenicity and relevance. The interplay of microbiota, immune system, nervous system neurotransmitter synthesis, and neuroplasticity transitions is also widely studied. The consequences of stress, dietary fibers, probiotics, prebiotics, and antibiotics on the GB axis are being studied. Multiple studies revealed the processes underlying this axis and led to the development of effective microbiota-based drugs for both prevention and treatment. Therefore, the results support the hypothesis that gut microbiota influences depression and provide a promising area of research for an improved knowledge of the etiology of the disease and future therapies.

Keywords: FMT; depressive disorder; dysbiosis; gut microbiota; gut-brain axis (GBA); metabolites; prebiotics; probiotics.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (12032007, 31971242); the Science and Technology Innovation Project of JinFeng Laboratory, Chongqing, China (jfkyjf202203001); Natural Science Fund Surface Project at Chongqing University of Science and Technology (CSTB2023NSCQ-MSX1060) and Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Innovation Team Construction Project. We are also thankful for the First Batch of Key Disciplines on Public Health in Chongqing and the Public Experiment Centre of State Bio industrial Base (Chongqing), China.