Depressive symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a meta-analysis of comparative studies
Abstract
Depression is common in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but the reported prevalence across different studies is inconsistent. This meta-analysis systematically examined the presence and severity of depressive symptoms in patients with IBS. Two investigators independently performed a literature search. The pooled depressive symptom severity was calculated using a random effects model. Subgroup, sensitivity and meta-regression analyses were conducted to examine the ...
Mind-altering microorganisms: the impact of the gut microbiota on brain and behaviour
Abstract | Recent years have witnessed the rise of the gut microbiota as a major topic of research interest in biology. Studies are revealing how variations and changes in the composition of the gut microbiota influence normal physiology and contribute to diseases ranging from inflammation to obesity. Accumulating data now indicate that the gut microbiota also communicates with the CNS — possibly through neural, endocrine and immune pathways — and thereby influences brain function and behaviour. ...
The aging gut microbiome and its impact on host immunity
Abstract
The microbiome plays a fundamental role in the maturation, function, and regulation of the host-immune system from birth to old age. In return, the immune system has co-evolved a mutualistic relationship with trillions of beneficial microbes residing our bodies while mounting efficient responses to fight invading pathogens. As we age, both the immune system and the gut microbiome undergo significant changes in composition and function that correlate with increased susceptibility to infectious diseases and reduced vaccinat...
Gut Microbiota Regulation of Tryptophan Metabolism in Health and Disease
The gut microbiota is a crucial actor in human physiology. Many of these effects are mediated by metabolites
that are either produced by the microbes or derived from the transformation of environmental or host
molecules. Among the array of metabolites at the interface between these microorganisms and the host is
the essential aromatic amino acid tryptophan (Trp). In the gut, the three major Trp metabolism pathways
leading to serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine), kynurenine (Kyn), and indole derivatives are under the ...
THE MICROBIOTA-GUT-BRAIN AXIS
The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis. Physiol Rev 99:
1877–2013, 2019. Published August 28, 2019; doi:10.1152/physrev.00018.2018.—The importance of the gut-brain axis in maintaining homeostasis has long been appreciated. However, the past 15 yr have seen the emergence of the microbiota (the trillions of microorganisms within and on our bodies) as one of the key regulators of gut-brain function and has led to the appreciation of the importance of a distinct microbiota-gut-brain axis. This axis is gaining ever more traction in fields investigating the biological ...
Interactions between the microbiota, immune and nervous systems in health and disease
Abstract
The diverse collection of microorganisms that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract, collectively called the gut microbiota, profoundly influences many aspects of host physiology, including nutrient metabolism, resistance to infection and immune system development. Studies investigating the gut–brain axis demonstrate a critical role for the gut microbiota in orchestrating brain development and behavior, and the immune system is emerging as an important regulator of these interactions. Intestinal ...
EXPERT REVIEW - The neurobiology of irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most prevalent disorder of brain-gut interactions that affects between 5 and 10% of the general population worldwide. The current symptom criteria restrict the diagnosis to recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel habits, but the majority of patients also report non-painful abdominal discomfort, associated psychiatric conditions (anxiety and depression), as well as other visceral and somatic pain-related symptoms. For decades, IBS was considered an intestinal motility disorder, ...
