Abstract
Evidence highlights the comorbidity between emotional distress and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) through the gut-brain axis. However, the underlying mechanism is largely unknown. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the associations among neurotransmitter levels and the gut microbiome profiles in persons with IBS and emotional distress. In this nested case-controlled study, emotional symptoms, including anxiety and depressive symptoms, were evaluated in 40 persons with IBS and 20 healthy controls (HC). Plasma neurotransmitters levels (serotonin and norepinephrine) and the gut microbiome profile of the collected fecal samples were examined. Emotional distress and microbiome profile were significantly different between IBS and HC groups. Lower but not significant neurotransmitters’ levels (serotonin and norepinephrine) were observed in the IBS group compared to the HC. A negative correlation was found between norepinephrine levels and alpha diversity (Shannon and Simpson indices) in the IBS group. Moreover, serotonin levels were positively associated with the abundance of Proteobacteria, and norepinephrine were positively correlated with Bacteroidetes, but negatively associated with Firmicutes phylum. The present study demonstrated alteration in the gut microbiome between persons with IBS and emotional distress compared to HC. The correlations between plasma neurotransmitters and the gut microbiome suggest that the gut microbiome may impact the regulation of neurotransmitters.
Highlights
Evidence highlights the comorbidity between emotional distress and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) through the gut-brain axis
The results show that the demographic characteristics were homogenous between the IBS and healthy controls (HC) groups except in age
The results showed that the mean of anxiety and depressive symptoms were significantly higher in the IBS group compared to the HC group
Summary
Evidence highlights the comorbidity between emotional distress and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) through the gut-brain axis. The present study aimed to evaluate the associations among neurotransmitter levels and the gut microbiome profiles in persons with IBS and emotional distress. The present study demonstrated alteration in the gut microbiome between persons with IBS and emotional distress compared to HC. The relationship between IBS and emotional distress is supported by neuroimaging and psychophysiological studies[10,11] This association may be related to the bidirectional communication between the central nervous system (CNS) and the gut neuroendocrine system known as the brain-gut a xis[4,12]. Several studies reported similarities in the fecal microbiome of persons with IBS and persons with depression (e.g., high abundance of Proteobacteria and low abundance of Bifidobacteria), which highlights the bidirectional interaction between the brain and the gut in comorbidity between emotional distress and I BS13,14. Variable Gender Female Male Age (years) Race White Asian African-American Ethnicity Hispanic Non-Hispanic Unknown Not reported Marital status Never married Married
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
