The McMaster University Brain-Body Institute St. Joseph's Healthcare, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2012 Nov;28(6):557-62. doi: 10.1097/MOG.0b013e3283572ffa.
Interest in the microbiota-gut-brain axis is increasing apace and what was, not so long ago, a hypothetical relationship is emerging as a potentially critical factor in the regulation of intestinal and mental health. Studies are now addressing the neural circuitry and mechanisms underlying the influence of gut bacteria on the central nervous system and behavior.
Gut bacteria influence development of the central nervous systems (CNS) and stress responses. In adult animals, the overall composition of the microbiota or exposure to specific bacterial strains can modulate neural function, peripherally and centrally. Gut bacteria can provide protection from the central effects of infection and inflammation as well as modulate normal behavioral responses. Behavioral effects described to date are largely related to stress and anxiety and an altered hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis response is a common observation in many model systems. The vagus nerve has also emerged as an important means of communicating signals from gut microbes to the CNS.
Studies of microbiota-gut-brain communication are providing us with a deeper understanding of the relationship between the gut bacteria and their hosts while also suggesting the potential for microbial-based therapeutic strategies that may aid in the treatment of mood disorders.
对微生物群-肠道-大脑轴的兴趣正在迅速增加，不久前还是假设的关系，现在正成为调节肠道和心理健康的一个潜在关键因素。目前的研究正在探讨肠道细菌对中枢神经系统和行为影响的神经回路和机制。
肠道细菌影响中枢神经系统（CNS）的发育和应激反应。在成年动物中，微生物群的整体组成或暴露于特定的细菌菌株可以调节外周和中枢的神经功能。肠道细菌可以提供对中枢感染和炎症的保护，以及调节正常的行为反应。迄今为止描述的行为效应主要与应激和焦虑有关，许多模型系统中常见的一个共同观察是下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴反应改变。迷走神经也已成为从肠道微生物向中枢神经系统传递信号的重要途径。
对微生物群-肠道-大脑通讯的研究使我们更深入地了解了肠道细菌与其宿主之间的关系，同时也暗示了基于微生物的治疗策略的潜力，这些策略可能有助于治疗情绪障碍。
