Sun Zewen, Wang Jun, Sun Ruiping, Liu Baozhen, Cai Keqi, Zhao Xinyuan, Wang Yanfang, Zhao Jianguo, Yuan Jingli
Innovation Center of Academician Xia Xianzhu's Team, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal Breeding and Disease Research, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Hainan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China.
State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Microbiol Spectr. 2025 Sep 2;13(9):e0133825. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.01338-25. Epub 2025 Jul 28.
Although existing research has uncovered the association between psychological stress and gut microbiota dysbiosis, the causal relationship remains unclear. The direct impact of psychological stress on gut microbiota and the potential bidirectional mechanisms remain unclear, including the specific molecular pathways involved. This study investigates the impact of psychological stress on the gut microbiota and associated metabolites in wild Hainan macaques, revealing that stress significantly alters microbial composition and function. Specifically, stress-induced changes in the gut microbiota are linked to shifts in key metabolites, particularly coumarins, which are known to interact with the nervous system. This suggests a feedback loop where stress modulates neurological function via microbiota-derived metabolites. We identified several differential metabolites, including specific C10757, that can serve as biomarkers for detecting stress-induced health risks. These findings highlight the potential of microbiota-based interventions to mitigate stress-related health issues and provide essential data for wildlife health monitoring. The study highlights the role of gut microbiota as a stress biomarker, underscoring the importance of psychological well-being in wildlife conservation and research to guide ethical animal management.
This study uncovers how psychological stress alters gut microbiota in wild animals, enhancing understanding of the gut-brain axis in natural ecosystems. Crucially, it identifies microbial profiles as non-invasive stress biomarkers, enabling early detection of environmental threats in conservation. The findings emphasize the ethical need to incorporate stress assessments (e.g., microbiota and cortisol analyses) into wildlife research to ensure welfare and data validity. Mechanistic parallels with captive species suggest evolutionary conservation of gut-brain pathways, opening avenues for cross-species therapies. By bridging psychobiology and conservation, this work establishes a framework for stress resilience interventions and ethical wildlife management, advancing both ecological health and humane science. Future research should explore microbiota-targeted strategies and cross-species applicability to optimize conservation outcomes.
尽管现有研究已揭示心理压力与肠道微生物群失调之间的关联，但因果关系仍不明确。心理压力对肠道微生物群的直接影响以及潜在的双向机制仍不清楚，包括所涉及的具体分子途径。本研究调查了心理压力对野生海南猕猴肠道微生物群及相关代谢物的影响，发现压力会显著改变微生物组成和功能。具体而言，压力诱导的肠道微生物群变化与关键代谢物的变化有关，特别是香豆素，已知其与神经系统相互作用。这表明存在一个反馈回路，即压力通过微生物群衍生的代谢物调节神经功能。我们鉴定出了几种差异代谢物，包括特定的C10757，它们可作为检测压力诱导的健康风险的生物标志物。这些发现凸显了基于微生物群的干预措施减轻与压力相关的健康问题的潜力，并为野生动物健康监测提供了重要数据。该研究强调了肠道微生物群作为压力生物标志物的作用，强调了心理健康在野生动物保护和研究中指导道德动物管理的重要性。
本研究揭示了心理压力如何改变野生动物的肠道微生物群，增进了对自然生态系统中肠脑轴的理解。至关重要的是，它将微生物谱确定为非侵入性压力生物标志物，能够早期检测保护中的环境威胁。研究结果强调了在野生动物研究中纳入压力评估（如微生物群和皮质醇分析）以确保福利和数据有效性的伦理必要性。与圈养物种的机制相似性表明肠脑途径的进化保守性，为跨物种治疗开辟了道路。通过将心理生物学与保护联系起来，这项工作建立了一个压力恢复力干预和道德野生动物管理的框架，推动了生态健康和人文科学的发展。未来的研究应探索以微生物群为目标的策略和跨物种适用性，以优化保护成果。
