Impact of lithium alone or in combination with haloperidol on oxidative stress parameters and cell viability in SH-SY5Y cell culture.

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that lithium may inhibit lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation. Lithium salts also appear to stimulate cell proliferation, increase neurogenesis, and delay cell death. Oxidative stress and neurodegeneration may play an important role in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder and the disease course thereof. The aim of this research is to estimate the influence of lithium (alone and in combination with haloperidol) on the parameters of oxidative stress and viability of SH-SY5Y cell lines in neutral and pro-oxidative conditions. METHODS: The evaluated oxidative stress parameter was lipid peroxidation. The viability of the cell lines was measured utilising the MTT test. RESULTS: In neutral conditions, higher levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were observed in those samples which contained both haloperidol and lithium than in other samples. However, these differences were not statistically significant. Cell viability was significantly higher in therapeutic lithium samples than in the controls; samples of haloperidol alone as well as those of haloperidol with lithium did not differ from controls. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study may indicate that lithium possess neuroprotective properties that may be partly due to antioxidative effects. The combination of lithium and haloperidol may generate increased oxidative stress.

[The relation of selected psychiatric disorders to occurrence of suicide attempts among teenage psychiatrically hospitalized patients]. / Zwiazek wybranych zaburzen psychicznych z wystepowaniem prób samobójczych wsród nastoletnich pacjentów hospitalizowanych psychiatrycznie.

UNLABELLED: Suicide is the third cause of death globally in the age group 10-19. Multiple risk factors (genetic, psychiatric, psychological, familial, social) increased number of suicide attempts. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore whether mental disorders are associated with the number of suicide attempts among psychiatric hospitalized adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective, chart-based analysis of 119 patients, aged 13-18, treated in 2013-2014 in the Department of Adolescent Psychiatry in Lódz. Inclusion criteria was diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders, mood disorders, neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders, behavioral and emotional disorders according to ICD 10. Exclusion criteria were other psychiatric diagnosis, incomplete information about intention of self-harm behaviors. For statistical analysis used Statistica 9.1. RESULTS: Among psychiatricaly hospitalized patients, 51.2% of people attempted suicide. No relationship was found (p > 0.05) between psychiatric diagnosis and frequency of suicide attempts in adolescents, but the most common suicide attempts related to people with a diagnosis of mood disorders (59.3%) and neurotic disorders (54.6%), and least frequently in patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia , schizotypal and delusional disorders (40%) and behavioral and emotional disorders (44.4%). CONCLUSIONS: There is no relation between the occurrence of suicide attempts and the type of mental disorders among psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents.

Circulating B vitamins metabolites in depressive disorders - connections with the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

PURPOSE: In this review, we aim to summarize recent information about the association of B vitamins with immune-metabolic aspects of depression and their connection with the gut-brain axis. VIEWS: B vitamins may alter depressive symptoms by many various mechanisms such as reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, gut permeability, controlling epigenetics, modifying the microbiome, and stimulating it to produce many beneficial substances such as short-chain fatty acids or neurotransmitters: norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and acetylcholine. CONCLUSIONS: Specifically, vitamins B1 (thiamine), B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folate), and B12 (cyanocobalamin), B2 (riboflavin) have been observed to affect depression. Given probiotic's capability to produce vitamins from the B group, and modify intestinal function, inflammation, or metabolic dysfunction, their supplementation might be a possible treatment method for the immunometabolic form of depression. Thus, the intake of certain probiotic bacterial strains simultaneously with controlling the required daily intake of B vitamins may positively affect the course of depression. Circulating B vitamins metabolite levels, especially B9, B12, and B6 may also be biomarkers of depression. Further investigation is needed to find stronger evidence on this topic.

Probiotics may be useful for drug-induced liver dysfunction in patients with depression - A secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: There is a need to identify new treatment options for depression with its comorbidities. Depression often coexists with liver steatosis and the two may share a pathophysiological overlap, including inflammation and microbiota changes. Probiotics might represent a safe option as an adjunctive therapy in patients with depression and possible liver steatosis. The paper presents the secondary analysis of a clinical trial of the effect of probiotic supplementation on the levels of non-invasive markers of liver steatosis and fibrosis in adult patients with depressive disorders. METHODS: The research had a two-arm, parallel-group, prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled design on probiotics in depression. 116 participants received a probiotic preparation containing Lactobacillus helveticus Rosell®-52 and Bifidobacterium longum Rosell®-175 over 60 days. Here, data from 92 subjects was analyzed. The following were assessed: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase (ALT/AST) ratio, Hepatic Steatosis Index, Framingham Steatosis Index, as well as non-invasive biomarkers of liver fibrosis (AST to Platelet Ratio Index, Fibosis-4 Index), or baseline socio-demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters. RESULTS: The probiotics did not influence liver steatosis and fibrosis parameters compared with placebo (p = 0.940 for HSI). However, the subgroup analysis revealed significant differences in liver-related parameters when stratified by the main diagnosis group (better improvement in steatosis indices after probiotics in depressive episode than mixed depression and anxiety disorder patients) or psychotropic medications use (better improvement in ALT-based indices after probiotics in antidepressant-treated subjects than those non-antidepressant-treated). The interplay between probiotics, medications, clinical and metabolic profiles of depression, and the changes in liver-related parameters has been discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple factors may modulate the postulated hepatoprotective properties of probiotics efficacy in patients with depression. Further studies with larger sample sizes, different probiotic strains, and longer intervention period are necessary to assess the real significance of probiotics for liver health in this population. GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT04756544.

Metabolic Status Influences Probiotic Efficacy for Depression-PRO-DEMET Randomized Clinical Trial Results.

Probiotics may represent a safe and easy-to-use treatment option for depression or its metabolic comorbidities. However, it is not known whether metabolic features can influence the efficacy of probiotics treatments for depression. This trial involved a parallel-group, prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled design. In total, 116 participants with depression received a probiotic preparation containing Lactobacillus helveticus Rosell®-52 and Bifidobacterium longum Rosell®-175 or placebo over 60 days. The psychometric data were assessed longitudinally at five time-points. Data for blood pressure, body weight, waist circumference, complete blood count, serum levels of C-reactive protein, cholesterol, triglycerides, and fasting glucose were measured at the beginning of the intervention period. There was no advantage of probiotics usage over placebo in the depression score overall (PRO vs. PLC: F(1.92) = 0.58; p = 0.45). However, we found a higher rate of minimum clinically important differences in patients supplemented with probiotics than those allocated to placebo generally (74.5 vs. 53.5%; X2(1,n = 94) = 4.53; p = 0.03; NNT = 4.03), as well as in the antidepressant-treated subgroup. Moreover, we found that the more advanced the pre-intervention metabolic abnormalities (such as overweight, excessive central adipose tissue, and liver steatosis), the lower the improvements in psychometric scores. A higher baseline stress level was correlated with better improvements. The current probiotic formulations may only be used as complementary treatments for depressive disorders. Metabolic abnormalities may require more complex treatments. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04756544.

Associations between intestinal fatty-acid binding protein and clinical and metabolic characteristics of depression.

INTRODUCTION: The topic of increased intestinal permeability is associated with disruption of the intestinal barrier, leading to the "leaky gut" syndrome. Depressive disorders often coexist with abdominal obesity, metabolic syndrome, or its components and complications. Intestinal permeability has been proven to relate to all of the above. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to assess the "leaky gut" blood biomarker - intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) - in 114 adult patients diagnosed with depressive disorders depending on abdominal obesity comorbidity, depression, anxiety, and stress level, or antidepressant use. The corrected p-value was set at 0.02. We analyzed patients' mental state, diet, anthropometric parameters, metabolic laboratory markers and I-FABP. RESULTS: There was no difference in circulating I-FABP levels between obese and non-obese patients with depressive disorders (p = 0.648). Similarly, I-FABP levels were not different in patients with different emotional symptoms severity (p = 0.829 for self-assessed depression, p = 0.164 for anxiety, and p = 0.543 for stress). But, I-FABP levels differed significantly between patients treated and not treated with antidepressants (p = 0.011). In general linear model analysis treatment with antidepressants, anxiety severity level, their interaction, along with smoking status, drinks intake, and using dietary supplements were shown to significantly explain I-FABP variance (p < 0.001, R2adj = 0.261). CONCLUSIONS: Comorbid obesity did not increase intestinal permeability circulating marker, I-FABP, in the population of patients with depressive disorders. Treatment with antidepressants may be connected to higher I-FABP levels. Using dietary supplements, drinks intake, smoking status, or anxiety level may serve as explanatory factors.

Intestinal permeability and its significance in psychiatric disorders - A narrative review and future perspectives.

The topic of increased intestinal permeability and its impact on the human body is increasingly being addressed by researchers. It is associated with disruption of the intestinal barrier, leading to the "leaky gut" syndrome. This can be assessed by classical methods, determining the concentration of orally administered tracer molecules in urine or by using biomarkers such as LPS, LBP or zonulin in blood plasma. The presence of bacterial endotoxins in the body causes inflammation. In this article, we review research on increased intestinal permeability in psychiatric illness: mood disorders, schizophrenia, alcohol dependence, anxiety disorders, neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. The results of the studies used to assess intestinal permeability in different disease entities are presented. Possible mechanisms for these interactions are the effects of chronic, low-grade inflammation on the human brain, causing interruption of the brain blood barrier and dysfunction of astrocytes and microglia. This affects brain function by reducing the number of dopaminergic neurons, disrupting tryptophan metabolism and altering the amount of GABA and glutamate. The links and mechanisms found may, in the future, allow earlier detection of diseases and their targeted treatment.

Ghrelin as a Biomarker of "Immunometabolic Depression" and Its Connection with Dysbiosis.

Ghrelin, a gastrointestinal peptide, is an endogenous ligand of growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (GHSR1a), which is mainly produced by X/A-like cells in the intestinal mucosa. Beyond its initial description as a growth hormone (GH) secretagogue stimulator of appetite, ghrelin has been revealed to have a wide range of physiological effects, for example, the modulation of inflammation; the improvement of cardiac performance; the modulation of stress, anxiety, taste sensation, and reward-seeking behavior; and the regulation of glucose metabolism and thermogenesis. Ghrelin secretion is altered in depressive disorders and metabolic syndrome, which frequently co-occur, but it is still unknown how these modifications relate to the physiopathology of these disorders. This review highlights the increasing amount of research establishing the close relationship between ghrelin, nutrition, microbiota, and disorders such as depression and metabolic syndrome, and it evaluates the ghrelinergic system as a potential target for the development of effective pharmacotherapies.

The Influence of Probiotic Supplementation on the Severity of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms; Function and Composition of Gut Microbiota; and Metabolic, Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress Markers in Patients with Depression-A Study Protocol.

This article aims to present the theoretical basis, methodology, and design of a clinical trial we will conduct. The study will be prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, and double-blind. Each intervention period will last 8 weeks and the trial will be conducted on 100 patients in total, who will be randomly divided into two groups consisting of 50 patients each. We plan to investigate the impact of Lactobacillus helveticus Rosell and Bifidobacterium longum Rosell on the depressive, anxiety, and stress levels in patients with depressive disorders with possible comorbid anxiety. In addition to assessing the influence of probiotics on the clinical condition, we also plan to study the clinical and biochemical parameters of metabolic syndrome, which often coexists with depression. Both depressive and metabolic issues may have part of their etiopathology in common, e.g., inflammation, oxidative stress, and dysbiosis. This is why we will additionally investigate the parameters related to gut microbiota, inflammatory, and oxidative statuses. Thus, the primary endpoint of the study will be the change in depression score measured with the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale. The secondary endpoints will include changes in anxiety and stress levels, as well as metabolic, inflammation, and oxidative stress parameters.

PRO-DEMET Randomized Controlled Trial on Probiotics in Depression-Pilot Study Results.

There is a pressing need to identify new treatment options for depression and its comorbidities. Depression often coexists with metabolic complications, and the two may share a pathophysiological overlap, including inflammation and microbiota changes. Microbiota interventions (e.g., probiotics) may represent a safe and easy-to-use treatment option as an adjunctive therapy in patients only partially responsive to pharmacologic treatment. (1) Objective: The paper presents the results of a feasibility and pilot study. The study is an internal part of a randomized controlled trail (RCT) of the effect of probiotic supplementation on psychometric, anthropometric, metabolic, and inflammatory parameters in adult patients with depressive disorders depending on the presence of metabolic syndrome. (2) Methods: The trial has a four-arm, parallel-group, prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled design. Sixty participants received a probiotic preparation containing Lactobacillus helveticus Rosell®-52 and Bifidobacterium longum Rosell®-175 over 60 days. The feasibility of the study design was assessed, as well as the rates of recruitment, eligibility, consent, and study completion. The following were assessed: depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms, quality of life, blood pressure, body mass index and waist circumference, complete blood count with differential, serum levels of C-reactive protein, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, some secondary markers of inflammation and metabolic health, as well as noninvasive biomarkers of liver fibrosis (APRI and FIB-4). (3) Results: The study was found to be generally feasible. The eligibility rate was 52% of recruited participants with 80% completing the study protocol. No differences in sociodemographic or anthropometric factors or basic laboratory findings were found between the placebo and probiotic group at the start of the intervention period. Importantly, the proportion of recruited participants fulfilling the criteria of metabolic syndrome was too low. (4) Conclusions: Whilst the whole study protocol was feasible, some different timepoint procedures require modification. The major weakness of the recruitment methods was that the percentage of metabolic arms participants was insufficient. Overall, the full RCT design on probiotics in depression with vs. without metabolic syndrome was shown to be feasible with little modification.

Deep Brain Stimulation in the Treatment of Tardive Dyskinesia.

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a phenomenon observed following the predominantly long-term use of dopamine receptor blockers (antipsychotics) widely used in psychiatry. TD is a group of involuntary, irregular hyperkinetic movements, mainly in the muscles of the face, eyelid, lips, tongue, and cheeks, and less frequently in the limbs, neck, pelvis, and trunk. In some patients, TD takes on an extremely severe form, massively disrupting functioning and, moreover, causing stigmatization and suffering. Deep brain stimulation (DBS), a method used, among others, in Parkinson's disease, is also an effective treatment for TD and often becomes a method of last resort, especially in severe, drug-resistant forms. The group of TD patients who have undergone DBS is still very limited. The procedure is relatively new in TD, so the available reliable clinical studies are few and consist mainly of case reports. Unilateral and bilateral stimulation of two sites has proven efficacy in TD treatment. Most authors describe stimulation of the globus pallidus internus (GPi); less frequent descriptions involve the subthalamic nucleus (STN). In the present paper, we provide up-to-date information on the stimulation of both mentioned brain areas. We also compare the efficacy of the two methods by comparing the two available studies that included the largest groups of patients. Although GPi stimulation is more frequently described in literature, our analysis indicates comparable results (reduction of involuntary movements) with STN DBS.

Resilience and Psychological Well-Being of Polish Women in the Perinatal Period during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic, with its multidimensional consequences, is the most serious threat of the 21st century affecting the mental health of women in the perinatal period around the world. Resilience, which assumes the flexible use of an individual's resources in facing adversity, is an important, protective factor influencing mental well-being. The presented study aimed to determine to what extent psychological resilience, mitigates the relationship between adverse consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and symptoms of depression and anxiety in women in the perinatal period. METHODS: We recruited pregnant women from 17 February to 13 October 2021, using social media, the parenting portal, and the snowball method. To assess mental well-being, we used: The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-2), Self-report Labour Anxiety Questionnaire-LAQ and the self-developed COVID-19 Pandemic Anxiety Questionnaire (CRAQ). Resilience was measured usingthe Resilience Measure Questionnaire (KOP26). Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA), an independent t-test, and a Pearson correlation analysis were performed. RESULTS: Low resilience was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (r = -0.46; p < 0.05) and anxiety related to childbirth (r = -0.21; p < 0.05). No associations were found for resilience and pandemic-related stress. Very high and high perinatal anxiety along with the lowest level of resilience clustered with EPDS and BDI-2 scores indicating depression. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides evidence that lower levels of resilience during pregnancy may be a significant predictor of increased severity of depressive symptoms and higher levels of anxiety related to childbirth among the perinatal population.

Use of psychotropic medications during lactation - practical guidelines for psychiatrists. / Stosowanie leków psychotropowych podczas laktacji ­ praktyczne wskazówki dla lekarza psychiatry.

Breastfeeding is the best way of feeding infants. It is recommended by national, European and worldwide scientific associations. The advantages of breastfeeding for both the child and the mother have been proven by research. It is widely known that most Polish women start to breastfeed immediately after delivery, however, with each month, the percentage of infants given breast milk exclusively is decreasing. One of the frequent causes of breastfeeding cessation reported by women is the necessity of pharmacotherapy. There are many controversies over the use of psychotropic medications in particular. Nowadays, based on relevant current data, medications pharmacokinetics and applicable pharmacopeia, it is possible to find a therapy that may be both efficient for the mother and safe for the child. In this review, we examine available sources of data on the use of psychotropic medications during lactation. Different groups of psychiatric medications are discussed and rated in terms of their safety during breastfeeding. The Polish Psychiatric Association recommends a course of treatment to support lactation. Both termination of therapy by the mother and interruption of breastfeeding have negative consequences for both the mother and her child. The decision to let the mother continue breastfeeding may be difficult for a psychiatrist. The problem needs to be discussed thoroughly with the patient and should be carefully documented. Cooperation with other specialists such as a pediatrician and/or a lactation consultant is also highly recommended.

"Leaky Gut" as a Keystone of the Connection between Depression and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome? A Rationale and Study Design.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and depression are highly comorbid. Immune alterations, oxidative stress or microbiota dysfunction have been proposed as some mechanisms underlying this association. The aim of the proposed study is to assess the severity and profile of OSA and depressive symptoms in the context of serum microbiota metabolites, biomarkers of intestinal permeability, inflammation and oxidative stress in adult patients diagnosed with OSA syndrome. The study population consists of 200 subjects. An apnoea-hypopnoea index ≥ 5/hour is used for the diagnosis. Depressive symptoms are assessed with Beck Depression Inventory. Measured serum markers are: tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 for inflammation, total antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde concentration for oxidative stress, zonulin, calprotectin, lipopolisaccharide-binding protein and intestinal fatty acids-binding protein for intestinal permeability. All of the above will be measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Associations between clinical symptoms profile and severity and the above markers levels will be tested. It would be valuable to seek for overlap indicators of depression and OSA to create this endophenotype possible biomarkers and form new prophylactic or therapeutic methods. The results may be useful to establish a subpopulation of patients sensitive to microbiota therapeutic interventions (probiotics, prebiotics, and microbiota transplantation).

Adiposity in Depression or Depression in Adiposity? The Role of Immune-Inflammatory-Microbial Overlap.

Some of the most common and debilitating conditions are metabolic disorders (metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) and depression. These conditions are also exacerbated by the fact that they often co-occur. Although the exact mechanisms underlying such relationships are poorly known, antipsychotic medication and antidepressant use, diet and physical activity, and lifestyle factors are believed to play a role; however, their high co-occurrence rate suggests a possible pathophysiological overlap. This paper reviews several possible bases for this overlap, including hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation, immune alterations with chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress. While it is entirely possible that changes in the microbiota may play a role in each of them, interventions based on the implementation of dietary and other lifestyle changes, supplementation with prebiotics or probiotics and faecal microbiota transplantation have failed to achieve conclusive results. A better characterization of the above associations may allow a more targeted approach to the treatment of both depressive and metabolic disorders. The paper also presents several practical applications for future studies.

Probiotics as a Treatment for "Metabolic Depression"? A Rationale for Future Studies.

Depression and metabolic diseases often coexist, having several features in common, e.g., chronic low-grade inflammation and intestinal dysbiosis. Different microbiota interventions have been proposed to be used as a treatment for these disorders. In the paper, we review the efficacy of probiotics in depressive disorders, obesity, metabolic syndrome and its liver equivalent based on the published experimental studies, clinical trials and meta-analyses. Probiotics seem to be effective in reducing depressive symptoms when administered in addition to antidepressants. Additionally, probiotics intake may ameliorate some of the clinical components of metabolic diseases. However, standardized methodology regarding probiotics use in clinical trials has not been established yet. In this narrative review, we discuss current knowledge on the recently used methodology with its strengths and limitations and propose criteria that may be implemented to create a new study of the effectiveness of probiotics in depressive disorders comorbid with metabolic abnormalities. We put across our choice on type of study population, probiotics genus, strains, dosages and formulations, intervention period, as well as primary and secondary outcome measures.

Comparison of thyroid-stimulating hormone levels in adolescents with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, unipolar depression, conduct disorders, and hyperkinetic disorders.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to retrospectively compare values of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in adolescent patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, unipolar depression (UNI-DEP), conduct disorders (CD), and hyperkinetic disorders.The research involved 1122 patients (718 women, 64%); aged 12 to 18 hospitalized in the Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Lodz. We analyzed TSH levels in the whole study population and compared it between the above-mentioned subgroups of diagnoses.Mean serum TSH concentration in the studied population (n = 1122) was 2.06 µIU/mL. The values of percentiles were as follows: 2.5th - 0.53 µIU/mL, 10th - 0.89 µIU/mL, 25th - 1.31 µIU/mL, 50th - 1.9 µIU/mL, 75th - 2.6 µIU/mL, 90th - 3.43 µIU/mL, 97.5th - 4.72 µIU/mL. TSH values were negatively correlated with patients' age (P = .00001). Patients with bipolar depression had higher TSH levels than patients with CD (P = .002). Also, when male and female groups were examined separately we found that female patients with UNI-DEP and bipolar disorder had higher TSH levels than female patients with CD (P = .001; P = .001).Our results confirm that there may be a higher prevalence of thyroid dysfunctions in bipolar and UNI-DEP subgroups among adolescents and that it is worthy to consider some kind of interventions regarding thyroid function in depressed individuals.

The Influence of Probiotic Supplementation on Depressive Symptoms, Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress Parameters and Fecal Microbiota in Patients with Depression Depending on Metabolic Syndrome Comorbidity-PRO-DEMET Randomized Study Protocol.

There is a huge need to search for new treatment options and potential biomarkers of therapeutic response to antidepressant treatment. Depression and metabolic syndrome often coexist, while a pathophysiological overlap, including microbiota changes, may play a role. The paper presents a study protocol that aims to assess the effect of probiotic supplementation on symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, metabolic parameters, inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, as well as fecal microbiota in adult patients with depressive disorders depending on the co-occurrence of metabolic syndrome. The trial will be a four-arm, parallel-group, prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled design that will include 200 participants and will last 20 weeks (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04756544). The probiotic preparation will contain Lactobacillus helveticus Rosell®-52, Bifidobacterium longum Rosell®-175. We will assess the level of depression, anxiety and stress, quality of life, blood pressure, body mass index and waist circumference, white blood cells count, serum levels of C-reactive protein, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, fecal microbiota composition and the level of some fecal microbiota metabolites, as well as serum inflammatory markers and oxidative stress parameters. The proposed trial may establish a safe and easy-to-use adjunctive treatment option in a subpopulation of depressive patients only partially responsive to pharmacologic therapy.

Can microbiology affect psychiatry? A link between gut microbiota and psychiatric disorders. / Jak mikrobiologia moze wplywac na psychiatrie? Powiazania miedzy flora bakteryjna jelit a zaburzeniami psychicznymi.

Every single human consists of thousands of genes, billions of neurons and trillions of bacteria. There is a rapidly growing number of data that links the gut microbiome to the development and functioning of the central nervous system, which is a currently proposed paradigm shift in neuroscience. Knowledge on the relationship between gut microbiota and mental disorders is constantly increasing. This phenomenon is known as "gut-brain axis". The strongest evidence for the role of microbes in the gut-brain axis comes from animal studies. Nevertheless, the gutbrain crosstalk is a bidirectional communication system that not only provides gastrointestinal homeostasis, but can also affect motivation as well as higher cognitive functions. Moreover, gut microbiome can be associated with obesity and inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders. According to the recent studies, there is a link between the composition of gut microbiota and mental disorders in animals (response to depression and chronic stress). This subject requires further examination, especially taking into consideration potential therapeutic options.