Research progress on intestinal flora and depression

Abstract

In recent years, the prevalence of depression and suicide rates have continued to increase, especially among adolescents, and existing treatment methods are still incomplete and have certain limitations. Although some progress has been made in studying the relationship between gut microbiota and depression, a clear explanation of the physiological mechanisms of the "Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis" (MGBA) and a review of treatments for depression based on MGBA regulation are still lacking. This article examines the traits of the gut microbiota in patients with depression, highlighting that their richness and diversity are significantly lower compared to healthy controls. The neurological, endocrine and immune mechanisms of MGBA and its role in the pathogenesis of depression were further explored. This article also reviews MGBA-based treatments, such as Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) and probiotic therapy, noting their potential efficacy in alleviating depressive symptoms. This article unveils the pivotal role of gut microbiota in the development of depression, offering a new avenue for researching the pathological mechanisms of the disorder and laying a scientific foundation for creating novel antidepressant treatments. At present, there is no consistent conclusion about the changes in the composition of the intestinal flora in depression. Future studies can expand the sample size and conduct experiments on different groups to deeply reveal the changes in the intestinal flora of patients with depression.