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Anxiety, depression, and the microbiome: A role for gut peptides
Given the emerging role of the gut-brain axis in a variety of brain disorders, such as anxiety and depression, Lach et al. (2018) regard it important to understand the contribution of bidirectional interactions between peptide hormones released from the gut and intestinal bacteria in the context of this axis. Peptides secreted by the gastrointestinal tract into the systemic circulation can bind cognate receptors on immune cells and vagus nerve terminals and thereby enable indirect gut-brain communication. The concentrations of these gut peptides are influenced by enteric microbiota signals in addition to the composition of the intestinal microbiota. This review discusses the gut microbiota’ function as a regulator of anxiety and depression, and explores the role of gut-derived peptides as signaling molecules in microbiome-gut-brain communication. Also presented here are the potential interactions of the microbiota with gut hormones and endocrine peptides such as neuropeptide Y, peptide YY, pancreatic polypeptide, cholecystokinin, glucagon-like peptide, corticotropin-releasing factor, oxytocin, and ghrelin in microbiome-to-brain signaling. Finally it was concluded that gut peptides are important regulators of microbiota-gut-brain signaling in health and stress-related psychiatric illnesses. [NPID: gut-brain axis, brain disorders, anxiety, depression, GI tract, gastrointestinal tract, gut peptides, microbiome, gut microbiome, psychiatric illnesses, MGBA]
Year: 2018
