Gut brain axis: diet microbiota interactions and implications for modulation of anxiety and depression

doi:10.1016/j.copbio.2014.10.007

Current Opinion in Biotechnology

Volume 32, April 2015, Pages 35-41

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2014.10.007 Get rights and content

Highlights

•
Research has established a link between microbiota and stress-related behaviours.
•
Diet-induced changes in microbiota and signaling pathways influence behaviour.
•
Probiotics have beneficial effects on stress-related behaviours.

The human gut microbiome is composed of an enormous number of microorganisms, generally regarded as commensal bacteria. Without this inherent microbial community, we would be unable to digest plant polysaccharides and would have trouble extracting lipids from our diet. Resident gut bacteria are an important contributor to healthy metabolism and there is significant evidence linking gut microbiota and metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes. In the past few years, neuroscience research has demonstrated the importance of microbiota in the development of brain systems that are vital to both stress reactivity and stress-related behaviours. Here we review recent literature that examines the impact of diet-induced changes in the microbiota on stress-related behaviours including anxiety and depression.

Graphical abstract

Introduction

Diet and diet-related changes in gut microbiota influence the gut-brain axis and may in turn influence behaviours including anxiety and depression. A link between gut microbiota and anxiety-related behaviours has recently been established in mice [1, 2, 3]. Interestingly, a link between consumption of probiotic bacteria in fermented milk was also shown to influence brain activity in emotional centers in healthy individuals [4^••]. This review will cover the latest literature related to microbiota and behaviour, diet-related mechanisms that may influence brain function and behaviour, and implications for modulation of anxiety and depression (Figure 1).

Section snippets

Gut microbiota and behaviour

In the past few years, a link between gut microbiota and stress-related behaviours has emerged in animal studies (see Table 1 for summary). The first experiments followed on the observation that germ free (GF) mice showed enhanced stress-reactivity [5] and sought to determine if this was associated with changes in anxiety-like behaviours. Surprisingly, the results revealed that GF mice showed reduced anxiety-like behaviour in the elevated plus maze (EPM), a well established behavioural test

Potential mechanisms underlying microbiota-related changes in behaviour

A number of dietary factors have been shown to have an impact on behaviour including anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviours. For example, long-term feeding of a high fat diet increases anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviour in mice and rats [18, 19, 20]. Interestingly GF mice, lacking microbiota, are smaller than age-matched SPF mice and have reduced anxiety-like behaviour that may be linked to metabolic changes due to the absence of microbiota. Central changes in brain expression of

Therapeutic potential of diet and probiotics in normalizing behaviour

Several animal studies have demonstrated an impact of probiotic administration on behaviour, in particular, anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviours; almost all studies have utilized Lactobacillus sp. and Bifidobacteria sp. Interestingly, probiotic administration to healthy rodents can impact behaviour. For example, 14 day administration of combined L. helveticus and B. longum reduced anxiety-like behaviour in the defensive marble burying test in Wistar rats [35]. In /C mice, 28 days

Future considerations

We now know that microbiota influence behaviour, in particular, stress-related behaviours such as anxiety and depression. Attention to the importance of microbiota and behaviour is rapidly expanding. Clinically, the link between obesity and anxiety is suggested [43], however studies have not yet considered the role of microbiota in this overlap. Understanding the link between mood and metabolism is a necessary direction for research studies to pursue. Changes in the microbiome, the metabolome,

References and recommended reading

Papers of particular interest, published within the period of review, have been highlighted as:

• of special interest
•• of outstanding interest

Acknowledgements

This work was funding by operating funds from the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC, to JAF) and equipment funds from Canadian Foundation for Innovation (to JAF).

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View full text

Gut brain axis: diet microbiota interactions and implications for modulation of anxiety and depression

Highlights

Graphical abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Gut microbiota and behaviour

Potential mechanisms underlying microbiota-related changes in behaviour

Therapeutic potential of diet and probiotics in normalizing behaviour

Future considerations

References and recommended reading

Acknowledgements

Nat Rev Neurosci

Neurogastroenterol Motil

Physiol Behav

Br J Nutr

Biol Psychiatry

Cell

Nature

Brain Behav Immun

Brain Behav Immun

Cell

Proc Natl Acad Sci USA

Psychoneuroendocrinology

Neurogastroenterol Motil

Int J Obes (Lond)

The microbiome-gut–brain axis during early life regulates the hippocampal serotonergic system in a sex-dependent manner

Mol Psychiatry

Effects of intestinal microbiota on anxiety-like behavior

Commun Integr Biol

Normal gut microbiota modulates brain development and behavior

Proc Natl Acad Sci USA

Consumption of fermented milk product with probiotic modulates brain activity

Gastroenterology

Postnatal microbial colonization programs the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal system for stress response in mice

J Physiol (Lond)

Reduced anxiety-like behavior and central neurochemical change in germ-free mice

Neurogastroenterol Motil

Commensal microbiota modulate murine behaviors in a strictly contamination-free environment confirmed by culture-based methods

Neurogastroenterol Motil