美国西奈山伊坎医学院Ivan E. de Araujo等研究人员合作发现，压力敏感的神经回路通过十二指肠腺改变肠道微生物群。这一研究成果于2024年8月8日在线发表在国际学术期刊《细胞》上。

研究人员发现，十二指肠的布伦纳腺将压力敏感的大脑回路与细菌稳态相连接。布伦纳腺介导了对迷走神经刺激的反应，从而使肠道中的乳酸菌物种富集。特定细胞的腺切除显著抑制了乳酸菌的数量，并增加了感染的易感性。

在前脑中，研究人员绘制了一个由迷走神经介导的多突触回路，该回路连接中央杏仁核与布伦纳腺。慢性压力抑制了中央杏仁核的活动，并模拟了腺损伤的效果。

相反，激活中央杏仁核或副交感迷走神经的神经元能够激活布伦纳腺，并逆转压力对肠道微生物群和免疫的影响。这些发现揭示了一种可操作的脑-体机制，将心理状态与宿主防御联系起来。

研究人员表示，负面心理状态通过改变肠道微生物群影响免疫力。然而，大脑状态与微生物群组成之间的关系仍不明确。

附：英文原文

Title: Stress-sensitive neural circuits change the gut microbiome via duodenal glands

Author: Hao Chang, Matthew H. Perkins, Leonardo S. Novaes, Feng Qian, Tong Zhang, Peter H. Neckel, Simon Scherer, Ruth E. Ley, Wenfei Han, Ivan E. de Araujo

Issue&Volume: 2024-08-08

Abstract: Negative psychological states impact immunity by altering the gut microbiome. However, the relationship between brain states and microbiome composition remains unclear. We show that Brunner’s glands in the duodenum couple stress-sensitive brain circuits to bacterial homeostasis. Brunner’s glands mediated the enrichment of gut Lactobacillus species in response to vagus nerve stimulation. Cell-specific ablation of the glands markedly suppressed Lactobacilli counts and heightened vulnerability to infection. In the forebrain, we mapped a vagally mediated, polysynaptic circuit connecting the central nucleus of the amygdala to Brunner’s glands. Chronic stress suppressed central amygdala activity and phenocopied the effects of gland lesions. Conversely, excitation of either the central amygdala or parasympathetic vagal neurons activated Brunner’s glands and reversed the effects of stress on the gut microbiome and immunity. The findings revealed a tractable brain-body mechanism linking psychological states to host defense.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.07.019

Source: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)00779-7