Human Molecular Cytogenetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641 046, Tamil Nadu, India.
Department of Biotechnology, Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Coimbatore 641062, Tamil Nadu, India.
J Clin Neurosci. 2022 May;99:169-189. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2022.03.003. Epub 2022 Mar 11.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a serious multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorder often accompanied by strained social communication, repetitive behaviour, immune dysregulation, and gastrointestinal (GI) issues. Recent studies have recorded a link between dysbiosis in the gut microbiota (gm) and the primary stages of ASD. A bidirectional connection (also called microbiota-gut-brain-axis) exchanges information between the gut bacteria and central nervous system. When the homeostasis of the microenvironment of the gut is dysregulated, it causes oxidative stress, affecting neuronal cells and neurotransmitters, thereby causing neurodevelopmental disorders. Studies have confirmed a difference in the constitution of gut bacteria among ASD cases and their controls. Numerous studies on animal models of ASD have shown altered gm and its association with abnormal metabolite profile and altered behaviour phenotype. This process happens due to an abnormal metabolite production in gm, leading to changes in the immune system, especially in ASD. Hence, this review aims to question the current knowledge on gm dysbiosis and its related GI discomforts and ASD behavioural symptoms and shed light on the possible therapeutic approaches available to deal with this situation. Thereby, though it is understood that more research might be needed to prove an association or causal relationship between gm and ASD, therapy with the microbiome may also be considered as an effective strategy to combat this issue.
自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）是一种严重的多因素神经发育障碍，常伴有社交沟通困难、重复行为、免疫失调和胃肠道（GI）问题。最近的研究记录了肠道微生物群（gm）失调与 ASD 主要阶段之间的联系。双向连接（也称为微生物群-肠道-大脑轴）在肠道细菌和中枢神经系统之间交换信息。当肠道微环境的动态平衡失调时，会导致氧化应激，影响神经元细胞和神经递质，从而导致神经发育障碍。研究证实了 ASD 病例与其对照组之间肠道细菌组成的差异。大量针对 ASD 动物模型的研究表明 gm 发生了改变，并且与异常代谢物谱和行为表型改变有关。这个过程是由于 gm 中异常代谢物的产生，导致免疫系统发生变化，尤其是在 ASD 中。因此，本综述旨在探讨 gm 失调及其相关的 GI 不适与 ASD 行为症状的现有知识，并阐明可能用于处理这种情况的治疗方法。尽管需要更多的研究来证明 gm 与 ASD 之间的关联或因果关系，但使用微生物组进行治疗也可能被视为一种有效的策略来解决这个问题。
