Depression and the efficacy of antidepressants depend on the composition of the gut microbiota

Does a healthy microbiota lead to a healthy mind? A joint study between the Institut Pasteur, the CNRS and Inserm has revealed the highly specific profile of the gut bacterial population in a mouse model used to study depression. When the bacterial population is transferred to healthy mice, they exhibit behaviors associated with depression within a few days. This can be explained by the fact that the bacterial community in the stressed mice produces very few of the precursors needed to synthesize serotonin – thereby rendering a class of antidepressants such as fluoxetine ineffective.

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