Plateau Environment, Gut Microbiota, and Depression: A Possible Concealed Connection?

作者：Yajun Qiao, Ruiying Cheng, Xiaohui Li, Huimin Zheng, Juan Guo, Lixin Wei, Tingting Gao, Hongtao Bi · 发表于：Current Issues in Molecular Biology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3390/cimb47070487 · 被引用次数：7 · 研究领域：Gut microbiota and health、Tryptophan and brain disorders、Diet and metabolism studies

Plateau environments present unique mental health challenges owing to stressors including hypoxia, low temperatures, and intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation. These factors induce structural and functional alterations in the gut microbiota, disrupting gut-brain axis homeostasis and contributing to the higher prevalence of depression in plateau regions relative to flatland areas. For example, studies report that 28.6% of Tibetan adults and 29.2% of children/adolescents on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau experience depression, with increasing evidence linking this trend to alterations in the gut microbiota. Dysbiosis contributes to depression through three interconnected mechanisms: (1) Neurotransmitter imbalance: Reduced bacterial diversity impairs serotonin synthesis, disrupting emotional regulation. (2) Immune dysregulation: Compromised gut barrier function allows bacterial metabolites to trigger systemic inflammation via toll-like receptor signaling pathways. (3) Metabolic dysfunction: Decreased short-chain fatty acid levels weaken neuroprotection and exacerbate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis stress responses. Current interventions-including dietary fiber, probiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation-aim to restore microbiota balance and increase short-chain fatty acids, alleviating depressive symptoms. However, key knowledge gaps remain in understanding the underlying mechanisms and generating population-specific data. In conclusion, existing evidence indicates an associa...