The role of inflammation and the gut microbiome in depression and anxiety

This 2019 review examines germ-free murine models that were used to reveal the gut microbiome’s role in the development and modulation of brain function and the immune system. The review also presents multiple pathways by which stress-induced inflammation damages brain activity and affects mental health. Peirce & Alviña (2019) list the gut-microbiome-derived compounds that are involved in influencing the gut microbiome’s interaction with mental health (for example, short-chain fatty acids, tryptophan catabolites, microbial pattern recognition) in addition to the related mechanisms such as vagal nerve activity and fecal microbiota transplants. It appears that the gut microbiome plays a facilitating role between stress response, inflammation, and depression, and anxiety. This review discusses the potentially positive findings observed in favour of probiotics and prebiotics, and the possible targets for future research: the elucidation of the microbiome’s causal role; the mechanisms by which gut microbes impact brain function and mental health; and the development of novel microbe-related treatments that improve mental health. [NPID: microbiome, MGBA, gut-brain axis, gut microbiome, immunity, brain function, inflammation, short-chain fatty acids, tryptophan, stress, depression, anxiety, probiotics, prebiotic]

Year: 2019

Reference: Peirce, J. M., & Alviña, K. (2019). The role of inflammation and the gut microbiome in depression and anxiety. Journal of neuroscience research, 97(10), 1223–1241. https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.24476

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