ABSTRACT
The concept of "Microbe-gut-eye axis" holds that metabolites of the gut microbiota are involved in the pathogenesis of various eye diseases. The composition and diversity of gut microbiota in diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients are significantly different from those in non-DR patients. Metabolites of the gut microbiota such as lipopolysaccharide, short-chain fatty acid, bile acids and branched-chain amino acid aggravate or attenuate the progression of DR by regulating the release of inflammatory cytokines, mitochondrial function, insulin sensitivity, immune response, and autophagy of retinal cells. Therefore, gut microbiota and their metabolites play a role in the occurrence and development of DR through multiple pathways. The participation of gut microbiota may open up a new way to prevent and treat DR in the future.
ABSTRACT
In recent years, the study of symbiotic microbial community on human health and disease has gradually become a hot spot.In particular, the Human Microbiome Project and the emergence of 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology have further promoted the study of human-related microbiota.The gut microbiota is the largest microecosystem of the human body.Normal gut microbiota plays an important role in maintaining host immune balance, promoting nutrient metabolism and sustaining intestinal homeostasis.At present, there is increasing evidence that gut microbiota disorders are associated with a variety of diseases, not only having an impact on the intestinal tract but also affecting many extraintestinal tissues and organs.With the emergence of the concept of gut-brain axis, which interacts between gut microbiota and brain, some researchers suggest that there may also be gut-eye axis between gut microbiota and eye.This review summarized the recent research advances on the role of gut microbiota in ophthalmic diseases, including corneal diseases, uveitis, retinopathies, and the ophthalmic diseases associated with systemic diseases, in the hope that it could provide evidence for the existence of gut-eye axis and new idea for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases in the future.