Gut microbiota and its metabolites in Alzheimer's disease: from pathogenesis to treatment

Xinfu Zou; Guoqiang Zou; Xinyan Zou; Kangfeng Wang; Zetao Chen

doi:10.7717/peerj.17061

Gut microbiota and its metabolites in Alzheimer's disease: from pathogenesis to treatment

PeerJ. 2024 Mar 13:12:e17061. doi: 10.7717/peerj.17061. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Xinfu Zou¹, Guoqiang Zou², Xinyan Zou³, Kangfeng Wang⁴, Zetao Chen¹

Affiliations

¹ Subject of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China.
² Subject of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University Of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China.
³ College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, China.
⁴ Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China.

Abstract

Introduction: An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that altered microbial diversity and function (such as metabolites), or ecological disorders, regulate bowel-brain axis involvement in the pathophysiologic processes in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The dysregulation of microbes and their metabolites can be a double-edged sword in AD, presenting the possibility of microbiome-based treatment options. This review describes the link between ecological imbalances and AD, the interactions between AD treatment modalities and the microbiota, and the potential of interventions such as prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and dietary interventions as complementary therapeutic strategies targeting AD pathogenesis and progression.

Survey methodology: Articles from PubMed and china.com on intestinal flora and AD were summarized to analyze the data and conclusions carefully to ensure the comprehensiveness, completeness, and accuracy of this review.

Conclusions: Regulating the gut flora ecological balance upregulates neurotrophic factor expression, regulates the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis, and suppresses the inflammatory responses. Based on emerging research, this review explored novel directions for future AD research and clinical interventions, injecting new vitality into microbiota research development.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Gut microbiota; Metabolites; Microbial-based therapeutics; Pathogenesis; Traditional Chinese medicine treatment.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Alzheimer Disease* / therapy
Brain
Brain-Gut Axis
Gastrointestinal Microbiome*
Humans
Microbiota*

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation Youth Foundation of China (No. 81303028), the Shandong Geriatrics Association Science and Technology Project (No. LKJGG2021Y041), and the Shandong Geriatrics Association Science and Technology Project (No. LKJGG2021W116). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.