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Research progress of the bidirectional interaction between gut microbiota and brain

YOU Yi-jun, HAN Xiao-long, ZHENG Xiao-jiao, ZHAO Ai-hua, CHEN Tian-lu   

  1. Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200233, China
  • Online:2017-02-28 Published:2017-02-28
  • Supported by:

    National Natrual Science Foundation of China, 31501079; Sail Plan of Shanghai Youth Science and Technology Talents of Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, 15YF1409100; Scientific Research Fund of Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital, YNLC201421

Abstract:

The gut-brain axis (GBA) is a nerve-endocrine mediated bidirectional communication system between the gut and brain, which links the cognition and emotion in brain to peripheral intestinal function. In recent years, many researches have showed that colonized intestinal microbiota plays an important role in the communication between gut and brain. On one hand, microbiota can influence the development and function of brain via GBA. On the other hand, brain can also change the composition of gut microbiota. These findings gradually become a novel medical research highlight, i.e. the microbiota-gut-brain axis. This paper reviews the interaction between gut microbiota and brain via GBA in order to provide supports for studying functions of gastrointestinal tract and brain, as well as the treatment of related diseases.

Key words: gut microbiota, gut-brain axis, neurodevelopment, functional gastrointestinal disorder