微生物–肠–脑轴:环境污染物致毒新靶点

Microbiota-gut-brain axis:a new target for toxicity of environmental pollutants

有机污染物、抗生素、重金属、农药等环境污染物的暴露和摄食已知能导致多种形式的神经系统疾病,但其中确切机制尚未完全阐明。肠–脑轴是一个连接肠道和大脑的重要且复杂的路径网络。肠道微生物作为肠道和大脑沟通桥梁搭建的首要介质,对环境中的各类污染物十分敏感。其可作为环境污染物神经毒性的作用靶点以调节免疫应答、物质代谢或直接影响神经元和神经信号的传导进而调控污染物对大脑炎性反应、神经递质分泌、内源性抗氧化防御系统功能、血脑屏障完整性和线粒体功能等的干扰过程。本文就肠–脑互作机制,以及环境污染物通过微生物–肠–脑轴介导宿主神经系统发育和功能的研究结果做简要综述,望为未来环境污染物、肠道微生物和人类健康之间深层关系提供前瞻性见解,并为寻找相关神经疾病的防治方法的提供参考。

Exposures to environmental pollutants such as organic pollutants,antibiotics,heavy metals,pesticides are known to cause many forms of neurological disease,but the exact mechanisms involved have not been fully elucidated.The gut-brain axis represents a complex network of pathways connecting the gut and brain.As a primary mediator linking gut and brain,gut microbiota is sensitive to various pollutants in the environment and can serve as a target for neurotoxicity of environmental pollutants,modulating immune responses and substance metabolism or directly affecting neuronal and neural signaling to mediate the interference of pollutants with the processes of the brain inflammatory response,neurotransmitter secretion,endogenous antioxidant defense system function,blood-brain barrier integrity,and the regulation of mitochondrial function.Herein,we briefly discuss the mechanisms of gut brain interaction and the findings that environmental pollutants mediate the development and function of the exposed individuals′nervous system through the microbiota-gut-brain axis.We expect to provide future insights into the unraveling of deep relationship between environmental pollutants,gut microbiota and human health and put forward a reference for the search of therapeutic approaches on related neurological diseases.