Dados do Trabalho

Título

The inter-relation between gut microbiota and neurodegenerative disorders in elderly

Resumo

Introduction: The gut microbiota has a central role in the regulation of immune, endocrine, and neural pathways. Recent studies suggest that gut microbiota dysbiosis has influence in the development of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. The alteration in the gut microbiota during the aging process associated with inflammation and microglia activation can boost the risk of neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Objectives: Identify what the scientific literature says about the relation between the gut microbiota and neurodegenerative diseases in elderly.

Methods: A systematic review was performed in PubMed and Scielo databases using the keywords (“Microbiota” AND “Neurodegeneration” AND “Aged”). Articles with free access in Portuguese or in English published between January/2018 and May/2022 were included in the study. Articles out of context, repeated and editorials were excluded. It was found 30 articles and analyzed 15.

Results: It was analyzed 8 transverse studies, 6 systematic reviews and 1 observational study. 6 of them approached the relation between gut microbiota and Parkinson's Disease (PD), 5 presented the association among dysbiosis and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and 4 discussed the influence of gut microbiota and neurological alterations in elderly. The AD studies showed that dysbiosis causes a hypersensitivity of neurons which can amplify the immune response and accelerate degeneration via inflammation and release of cytokines. Other studies investigated the benefits of probiotics and its contribution for the prevention of neurodegeneration; however, its response depends on dietary habits, comorbidities, probiotic dosage, composition, and intake frequency. Studies showed that elderly with DP and severe gastrointestinal symptoms due to dysbiosis suffered more cognitive impairment as alterations of dopamine and motricity. One study also implies that alterations in the oral microbiome have correlation with DP. This is relevant to future therapeutic approaches since its management is easier than genetics and gut microbiota.

Conclusion: The findings suggested that dysbiosis can amplify inflammatory responses contributing to neurodegeneration. However, the microbiota-gut-brain axis is not fully comprehended yet. It is necessary to have more research about it in order to better understand the therapeutic use of prebiotics and probiotics, its prognostic and its possible use as prevention in the future.

Palavras Chave

Microbiota; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Aged