The Gut–Brain Axis in Schizophrenia: The Implications of the Gut Microbiome and SCFA Production
Schizophrenia, a severe mental illness affecting about 1% of the population, manifests during young adulthood, leading to abnormal mental function and behavior. Its multifactorial etiology involves genetic factors, experiences of adversity, infection, and gene–environment interactions. Emerging rese...
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MDPI AG
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/20/4391 |
| _version_ | 1797572707164880896 |
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| author | Songhyun Ju Yoonhwa Shin Sunhee Han Juhui Kwon Tae Gyu Choi Insug Kang Sung Soo Kim |
| author_facet | Songhyun Ju Yoonhwa Shin Sunhee Han Juhui Kwon Tae Gyu Choi Insug Kang Sung Soo Kim |
| author_sort | Songhyun Ju |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Schizophrenia, a severe mental illness affecting about 1% of the population, manifests during young adulthood, leading to abnormal mental function and behavior. Its multifactorial etiology involves genetic factors, experiences of adversity, infection, and gene–environment interactions. Emerging research indicates that maternal infection or stress during pregnancy may also increase schizophrenia risk in offspring. Recent research on the gut–brain axis highlights the gut microbiome’s potential influence on central nervous system (CNS) function and mental health, including schizophrenia. The gut microbiota, located in the digestive system, has a significant role to play in human physiology, affecting immune system development, vitamin synthesis, and protection against pathogenic bacteria. Disruptions to the gut microbiota, caused by diet, medication use, environmental pollutants, and stress, may lead to imbalances with far-reaching effects on CNS function and mental health. Of interest are short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), metabolic byproducts produced by gut microbes during fermentation. SCFAs can cross the blood–brain barrier, influencing CNS activity, including microglia and cytokine modulation. The dysregulation of neurotransmitters produced by gut microbes may contribute to CNS disorders, including schizophrenia. This review explores the potential relationship between SCFAs, the gut microbiome, and schizophrenia. Our aim is to deepen the understanding of the gut–brain axis in schizophrenia and to elucidate its implications for future research and therapeutic approaches. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:59:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3fb577f339574898aee9786e61ee4a1e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:59:28Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-3fb577f339574898aee9786e61ee4a1e2023-11-19T17:38:08ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432023-10-011520439110.3390/nu15204391The Gut–Brain Axis in Schizophrenia: The Implications of the Gut Microbiome and SCFA ProductionSonghyun Ju0Yoonhwa Shin1Sunhee Han2Juhui Kwon3Tae Gyu Choi4Insug Kang5Sung Soo Kim6Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of KoreaSchizophrenia, a severe mental illness affecting about 1% of the population, manifests during young adulthood, leading to abnormal mental function and behavior. Its multifactorial etiology involves genetic factors, experiences of adversity, infection, and gene–environment interactions. Emerging research indicates that maternal infection or stress during pregnancy may also increase schizophrenia risk in offspring. Recent research on the gut–brain axis highlights the gut microbiome’s potential influence on central nervous system (CNS) function and mental health, including schizophrenia. The gut microbiota, located in the digestive system, has a significant role to play in human physiology, affecting immune system development, vitamin synthesis, and protection against pathogenic bacteria. Disruptions to the gut microbiota, caused by diet, medication use, environmental pollutants, and stress, may lead to imbalances with far-reaching effects on CNS function and mental health. Of interest are short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), metabolic byproducts produced by gut microbes during fermentation. SCFAs can cross the blood–brain barrier, influencing CNS activity, including microglia and cytokine modulation. The dysregulation of neurotransmitters produced by gut microbes may contribute to CNS disorders, including schizophrenia. This review explores the potential relationship between SCFAs, the gut microbiome, and schizophrenia. Our aim is to deepen the understanding of the gut–brain axis in schizophrenia and to elucidate its implications for future research and therapeutic approaches.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/20/4391schizophreniagut microbiotagut–brain axisblood–brain barriershort-chain fatty acids |
| spellingShingle | Songhyun Ju Yoonhwa Shin Sunhee Han Juhui Kwon Tae Gyu Choi Insug Kang Sung Soo Kim The Gut–Brain Axis in Schizophrenia: The Implications of the Gut Microbiome and SCFA Production Nutrients schizophrenia gut microbiota gut–brain axis blood–brain barrier short-chain fatty acids |
| title | The Gut–Brain Axis in Schizophrenia: The Implications of the Gut Microbiome and SCFA Production |
| title_full | The Gut–Brain Axis in Schizophrenia: The Implications of the Gut Microbiome and SCFA Production |
| title_fullStr | The Gut–Brain Axis in Schizophrenia: The Implications of the Gut Microbiome and SCFA Production |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Gut–Brain Axis in Schizophrenia: The Implications of the Gut Microbiome and SCFA Production |
| title_short | The Gut–Brain Axis in Schizophrenia: The Implications of the Gut Microbiome and SCFA Production |
| title_sort | gut brain axis in schizophrenia the implications of the gut microbiome and scfa production |
| topic | schizophrenia gut microbiota gut–brain axis blood–brain barrier short-chain fatty acids |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/20/4391 |
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