Intestinal permeability, gut-bacterial dysbiosis, and behavioral markers of alcohol-dependence severity

TLDR

Alcohol‑dependent individuals often experience emotional symptoms that sustain drinking and exhibit gastrointestinal disturbances. The study aims to explore gut microbiota as a novel target for treating and managing alcohol dependence. Patients with increased intestinal permeability showed altered gut microbiota and continued high depression, anxiety, and craving scores after detox, supporting a gut–brain axis that links microbiota to alcohol‑related behavior.

Abstract

Significance Alcohol-dependent subjects frequently develop emotional symptoms that contribute to the persistence of alcohol drinking. These subjects are also characterized by gastrointestinal disturbances. In this study, we showed that alcohol-dependent subjects with altered intestinal permeability had also altered gut-microbiota composition and activity and remained with high scores of depression, anxiety, and alcohol craving after a short-term detoxification program. These results are consistent with the existence of a gut–brain axis in alcohol dependence, in which the gut microbiota could alter the gut-barrier function and influence behavior in alcohol dependence. Therefore, this study opens a previously unidentified field of research for the treatment and the management of alcohol dependence, targeting the gut microbiota.