Gut-Liver-Brain Axis and Alcohol Use Disorder : Treatment Potential of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation

PURPOSE: Chronic alcohol use is a major cause of liver damage and death. In the United States, multiple factors have led to low utilization of pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder (AUD), including lack of provider knowledge and comfort in prescribing medications for AUD. Alcohol consumption has direct effects on the gut microbiota, altering the diversity of bacteria and leading to bacterial overgrowth. Growing evidence suggests that alcohol's effects on the gut microbiome may contribute to increased alcohol consumption and progression of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). This article reviews human and preclinical studies investigating the role of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in ameliorating alcohol-associated alterations to the liver, gut, and brain resulting in altered behavior; it also discusses the therapeutic potential of FMT.

SEARCH METHODS: For this narrative review, a literature search was conducted in September 2022 of PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, and Google Scholar to identify studies published between January 2012 and September 2022. Search terms used included "fecal microbiota transplantation" and "alcohol.".

SEARCH RESULTS: Most results of the literature search were review articles or articles on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; these were excluded. Of the remaining empirical manuscripts, very few described clinical or preclinical studies that were directly investigating the effects of FMT on alcohol drinking or related behaviors. Ultimately, 16 studies were included in the review.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The literature search identified only a few studies that were directly investigating the effect of FMT on ALD or alcohol drinking and related behaviors. Largely proof-of-concept studies, these findings demonstrate that alcohol can alter the gut microbiome and that the microbiome can be transferred between humans and rodents to alter affective behaviors frequently associated with increased alcohol use. Other studies have shown promise of FMT or other probiotic supplementation in alleviating some of the symptoms associated with ALD and drinking. These results show that the implementation of FMT as a therapeutic approach is still in the investigatory stages.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:44

Enthalten in:

Alcohol research : current reviews - 44(2024), 1 vom: 01., Seite 01

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Wolstenholme, Jennifer T [VerfasserIn]
Duong, Nikki K [VerfasserIn]
Brocato, Emily R [VerfasserIn]
Bajaj, Jasmohan S [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Alcohol
Alcohol-associated liver disease
Behavior
Fecal microbiota transplant
Gastrointestinal microbiome
Gut-brain axis
Journal Article
Microbiota
Probiotics
Review

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 08.02.2024

Date Revised 11.02.2024

published: Electronic-eCollection

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.35946/arcr.v44.1.01

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM368116212