The role of the gut-brain axis in depression: endocrine, neural, and immune pathways.

The role of the gut-brain axis in depression: endocrine, neural, and immune pathways. Hormones (Athens). 2020 Aug 21;: Authors: Makris AP, Karianaki M, Tsamis KI, Paschou SA Abstract The aim of this article is to summarize the pathways connecting the gut and the brain and to highlight their role in the development of depression as well as their potential use as therapeutic targets. A literature search was conducted in PubMed using relevant keywords and their combinations up to the end of March 2020. Previously seen as a disease pertaining solely to the central nervous system, depression is now perceived as a multifactorial condition that extends beyond neurotransmitter depletion. Central to our understanding of the disease is our current knowledge of the communication between the gut and the brain, which is bidirectional and involves neural, endocrine, and immune pathways. This communication is facilitated via stress-mediated activation of the HPA axis, which stimulates the immune system and causes a decrease in microbial diversity, also known as dysbiosis. This change in the intestinal flora leads, in turn, to bacterial production of various substances which stimulate both the enteric nervous system and the vagal afferents and contribute to additional activation of the HPA axis. Concomitantly, these substances are associated with an increase in intestinal permeability, namely, the leaky gut phenomenon. The bidirectional link between...
Source: Hormones - Category: Endocrinology Tags: Hormones (Athens) Source Type: research