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REVIEW article

Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Gut-Brain Axis
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1541075
This article is part of the Research Topic Reviews in Gut-Brain Axis: Stress, dysregulation in gut-brain axis function and stress related disorders View all 8 articles

HYPOTHALAMUS-PITUITARY-ADRENAL AND GUT-BRAIN AXES IN BIOLOGICAL INTERACTION PATHWAY OF THE DEPRESSION

Provisionally accepted
Amanda Gollo Bertollo Amanda Gollo Bertollo Camila Ferreira Santos Camila Ferreira Santos Margarete Dulce Bagatini Margarete Dulce Bagatini Zuleide Maria Ignácio Zuleide Maria Ignácio *
  • Federal University of the Southern Frontier, Chapecó, Brazil

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and gut-brain axes are vital biological pathways in depression. The HPA axis regulates the body's stress response, and chronic stress can lead to overactivation of the HPA axis, resulting in elevated cortisol levels that contribute to neuronal damage, particularly in regions such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, both of which are involved in mood regulation and mental disorders. In parallel, the gut-brain axis, a bidirectional communication network between the gut microbiota and the central nervous system, influences emotional and cognitive functions. Imbalances in gut microbiota can affect the HPA axis, promoting inflammation and increasing gut permeability. This allows endotoxins to enter the bloodstream, contributing to neuroinflammation and altering neurotransmitter production, including serotonin. Since the majority of serotonin is produced in the gut, disruptions in this pathway may be linked to depressive symptoms. This review explores the interplay between the HPA axis and the gut-brain axis in the context of depression.

    Keywords: hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, gut-brain axis, Gut Microbiota, Depression, stress response

    Received: 06 Dec 2024; Accepted: 16 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Bertollo, Santos, Bagatini and Ignácio. 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: Zuleide Maria Ignácio, Federal University of the Southern Frontier, Chapecó, Brazil

    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.