APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland.
Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland.
Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2019 Jan 1;22(1):37-52. doi: 10.1093/ijnp/pyy067.
Microorganisms can be found almost anywhere, including in and on the human body. The collection of microorganisms associated with a certain location is called a microbiota, with its collective genetic material referred to as the microbiome. The largest population of microorganisms on the human body resides in the gastrointestinal tract; thus, it is not surprising that the most investigated human microbiome is the human gut microbiome. On average, the gut hosts microbes from more than 60 genera and contains more cells than the human body. The human gut microbiome has been shown to influence many aspects of host health, including more recently the brain.Several modes of interaction between the gut and the brain have been discovered, including via the synthesis of metabolites and neurotransmitters, activation of the vagus nerve, and activation of the immune system. A growing body of work is implicating the microbiome in a variety of psychological processes and neuropsychiatric disorders. These include mood and anxiety disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia, and even neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Moreover, it is probable that most psychotropic medications have an impact on the microbiome.Here, an overview will be provided for the bidirectional role of the microbiome in brain health, age-associated cognitive decline, and neurological and psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, a primer on the common microbiological and bioinformatics techniques used to interrogate the microbiome will be provided. This review is meant to equip the reader with a primer to this exciting research area that is permeating all areas of biological psychiatry research.
微生物几乎无处不在，包括在人体内部和表面。与特定位置相关的微生物集合被称为微生物组，其集体遗传物质被称为微生物组。人体上微生物数量最多的地方存在于胃肠道中；因此，人体胃肠道微生物组是研究最多的人类微生物组也就不足为奇了。平均而言，肠道中寄居着超过 60 个属的微生物，并且含有比人体更多的细胞。人类肠道微生物组已被证明会影响宿主健康的许多方面，包括最近的大脑。已经发现了肠道和大脑之间的几种相互作用模式，包括通过代谢物和神经递质的合成、迷走神经的激活和免疫系统的激活。越来越多的工作表明微生物组与各种心理过程和神经精神障碍有关。这些包括情绪和焦虑障碍、神经发育障碍，如自闭症谱系障碍和精神分裂症，甚至神经退行性疾病，如阿尔茨海默病和帕金森病。此外，很可能大多数精神药物都会对微生物组产生影响。在这里，将概述微生物组在大脑健康、与年龄相关的认知能力下降以及神经和精神疾病中的双向作用。此外，还将提供一个关于用于研究微生物组的常见微生物学和生物信息学技术的入门。这篇综述旨在为读者提供一个关于这个令人兴奋的研究领域的入门知识，该领域正在渗透到生物精神病学研究的所有领域。
