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The Role of Microbiota Remodeling in the Antidepressant Effects of Fluoxetine

29 Pages Posted: 31 Mar 2019

See all articles by Lijuan Sun

Lijuan Sun

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases; Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

Haohao Zhang

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases; Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

Junwang Zhang

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases; Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

Ying Cao

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases; Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

Chenchen Wang

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases; Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

Changhai Zhao

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital

Huaning Wang

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital

Guangbin Cui

Government of the People's Republic of China - Tangdu Hospital

Meixia Wang

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases; Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

Yan Pan

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases; Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

Yupeng Shi

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases; Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

Yongzhan Nie

Government of the People's Republic of China - State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology; Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

More...

Abstract

Background:  Bidirectional interaction between gut and brain is associated with the maintenance of host nervous system health. Considerable progress has been made in understanding how microbiota-related gut signals affect central nervous system, however, how nervous diseases leading to dysbiosis is not well recognized.  

Method:  We investigated changes in gut microbiota in a depression model induced by chronic unpredicted mild stress (CUMS) and a restoration model by applying the classic antidepressant drug fluoxetine. Behavior tests were performed to evaluate the depression and anxiety-like behaviors, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was used to analyze the gut microbiota profiles.  

Findings:  In CUMS-induced depression model, fluoxetine showed significant antidepressant and mild anti-anxiety effects in mice. Consistent with behavior test, in gut microbiota, CUMS led to low bacterial diversity, simpler bacterial network, and altered microbiota. Most intriguingly, CUMS led to increased abundance of pathogens, such as Escherichia/Shigella, and conditional pathogens, such as Enterococcus, Vagococcus, and Aerococcus. However, these changes were attenuated by fluoxetine directly and indirectly. Furthermore, correlations analysis indicated strong correlations between gut microbiota and anxiety- and depression-like behaviors.  

Interpretation: This study reveals that fluoxetine leads to restoration of dysbiosis induced by stress stimulation. It suggests that antidepressant effects of fluoxetine in CUMS model may be mediated, in part, by the restoration of the gut microbiota. Altogether, our finding uncover a novel role of nervous disorders on gut microbiota.  

Funding Statement:  This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant No. 81730016).  

Declaration of Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethics Approval Statement: All procedures carried out in accordance with the recommendations of 'the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of the National Institutes of Health.' The protocol was approved by the Animal Research Ethics Board of The Fourth Military Medical University (Approval number: 20170206).

Keywords: fluoxetine; depression; gut-brain axis; stress

Suggested Citation

Sun, Lijuan and Zhang, Haohao and Zhang, Junwang and Cao, Ying and Wang, Chenchen and Zhao, Changhai and Wang, Huaning and Cui, Guangbin and Wang, Meixia and Pan, Yan and Shi, Yupeng and Nie, Yongzhan, The Role of Microbiota Remodeling in the Antidepressant Effects of Fluoxetine (March 29, 2019). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3362445 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3362445

Lijuan Sun

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases

Xi’an, 710032
China

Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

China

Haohao Zhang

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases

Xi’an, 710032
China

Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

China

Junwang Zhang

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases

Xi’an, 710032
China

Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

China

Ying Cao

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases

Xi’an, 710032
China

Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

China

Chenchen Wang

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases

Xi’an, 710032
China

Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

China

Changhai Zhao

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital

Xi’an, 710032
China

Huaning Wang

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital

Xi’an, 710032
China

Guangbin Cui

Government of the People's Republic of China - Tangdu Hospital

Xi'an, Shaanxi 710039
China

Meixia Wang

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases

Xi’an, 710032
China

Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

China

Yan Pan

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases

Xi’an, 710032
China

Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

China

Yupeng Shi

Government of the People's Republic of China - Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases

Xi’an, 710032
China

Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases

China

Yongzhan Nie (Contact Author)

Government of the People's Republic of China - State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology ( email )

Capital Medical University - National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases ( email )

China

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