Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious mental health condition and eating disorder. The gut-microbiota-brain axis can affect brain functions including regulation of appetite, behavior and emotions. For example, the bacterial metabolite caseinolytic peptidase B, predominantly produced by enterobacteria, is an antigenic mimic of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, which can exert anorexigenic effects. It has been hypothesized that an aberrant gut microbiota may be involved in the pathogenesis of AN. Authors in this study, explored the hypothesis that a perturbed intestinal gut microbiota and serum metabolome contribute to the complex pathogenesis of AN using Shotgun metagenomics and metabolomics. Further, causal mechanisms were explored in silico using bidirectional mediation analyses and in vivo through fecal microbiota transplantation of gut microbiota from AN human case to female germ-free mice. The findings of this study, lend support to the hypothesis that a severely disrupted intestinal microbiota contributes to some of the stages in the pathogenesis of AN.
Link to the article: bit.ly/457ogWK
Published On: /05/2023
