3D illustration of Klebsiella
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A type of estrogen-degrading gut bacteria may contribute to depression in premenopausal women. Future therapies targeting this microbe may help treat this condition. there is.
Depression is about twice as common in women than in men. The reason is unknown, but previous research suggests that it may be due to changes in estradiol.
Gao Hua Wang and his colleagues at Wuhan University People’s Hospital in China measured estradiol levels in blood samples of 189 premenopausal women. Of those, 91 of her were depressed. They found that, on average, estradiol levels were about 43% lower in those with the condition than in those without.
The researchers then extracted gut microbes from the participants’ faecal samples and mixed them into a solution containing estradiol. The gut bacteria of depressed women degrade estradiol faster than those of nondepressed women, suggesting that differences in gut microbiota contribute to lower estradiol levels in depressed women.
The team identified microorganisms that degrade estradiol: Klebsiella aerogenes, This was 14 times more common in stool samples from depressed participants than in non-depressed participants.fed female mouse K. aerogenes Depressive symptoms persisted for four weeks, including lower levels of estradiol and less grooming than female mice that had not received the bacteria. Taken together, these findings indicate that: K. aerogenes It may lower estradiol levels and contribute to depression in women.
Timothy Sampson, of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, said the study represents the next stage in microbiome research, and the results could lead to the development of new drugs that target specific microbes and their metabolic processes. However, it is unclear how effective K. aerogenes affects a person’s mood, he says. It is so small that future treatment may not improve the woman’s depressive symptoms.
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