REVIEW article
Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Gut-Brain Axis
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1596467
This article is part of the Research TopicMolecular mechanisms and clinical studies of multi-organ dysfunction in sepsis associated with pathogenic microbial infectionView all 15 articles
Gut Microbiota and Sepsis-Associated Encephalopathy: Pathogenesis and Precision Therapies
Provisionally accepted
- 1Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- 2The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
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Sepsis is defined as a condition of immune dysregulation in response to an infection, and sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is often the initial symptom that manifests in patients with sepsis. This condition is characterized by its high mortality rates and the potential to cause significant disability among survivors. Despite its severity, the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms that contribute to the development of SAE are not yet fully understood. Additionally, there are no established strict diagnostic criteria or potent treatment options available for this condition.However, an increasing body of evidence suggests that an imbalance in the gut microbiota is associated with SAE, potentially through the gut-brain axis (GBA). The GBA axis refers to the bidirectional communication between the gut microbiota and the central nervous system. In this review, we discuss the changes in the gut microbiota in SAE and the mechanisms of the GBA axis, involving neural, immune, endocrine, and neurotransmitter pathways. Finally, we conclude by evaluating the preclinical and clinical evidence for fecal microbiota transplantation and probiotics in SAE. Targeting the GBA axis will be an actionable target to ameliorate the development and progression of SAE.
Keywords: sepsis-associated encephalopathy, Sepsis, Gut Microbiota, fecal microbiota transplantation, Probiotics
Received: 19 Mar 2025; Accepted: 12 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wei, Dai, Li, Zhou and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Jun Zhou, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
Ye Chen, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.