Connecting the Gut Microbiota and Neurodegenerative Diseases: the Role of Bile Acids

With the acceleration of global population aging, neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) will become the second leading cause of death in the world, which seriously threatens human life and health. Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are the most common and typical NDs. The exact mechanisms of the NDs occurrence and development remain unclear, which may be related to immune, oxidative stress, and abnormal aggregation of pathogenic proteins. Studies have suggested that gut microbiota (GM) influences brain function and plays an important role in regulating emotional and cognitive function. Recently, bile acids (BAs) have become the star molecule in the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis research. BAs have been reported to exert anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective activities in NDs. However, the role of BAs in the connection between GM and the central nervous system (CNS) is still unclear. In this review, we will review the possible mechanisms of BAs between GM and NDs and explore the function of BAs to provide ideas for the prevention and treatment of NDs in the future.

Automated summary

With the global population aging, neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are predicted to become the second leading cause of death worldwide, posing a significant threat to human life and health. The occurrence and development of NDs, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, are still not fully understood, but immune, oxidative stress, and protein aggregation are believed to play a role. Recent studies have highlighted the influence of gut microbiota (GM) on brain function and the role of bile acids (BAs) in the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis. BAs have shown anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects in NDs, although their specific connection with GM and the central nervous system (CNS) remains unclear.