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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Neurosci.

Sec. Gut-Brain Axis

Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1564992

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 10 articles

What is the role of Dopamine D2 Receptor in the Brain-Gut Axis? A narrative review of the Mechanism based on Gut Microbiota in Regulating Emotion and Behavior

Provisionally accepted
Yingao Xie Yingao Xie 1Yuqing Fang Yuqing Fang 2*
  • 1 Jining Medical University, Jining, China
  • 2 Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, Shandong Province, China

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

    With the progression of the brain-gut axis, the bidirectional communication mechanism between the gut microbiota-brain has gradually turned into a topic issues in emotion regulation research. The key role of the dopamine D2 receptor in this process has been centered on. Lately, evidences have indicated the significance of gut microbiota in emotion and behavior regulation, especially in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders, like mood disorders, anxiety, and depression. The relationship between gut microbiota and brain activity has gradually emerged. Our review aims to explore the role of the dopamine D2 receptor in the brain-gut axis, focus on delving into its mechanism in emotion regulation, summarize the effect of gut microbiota on D2 receptor function, and then discuss the treatment utilization based on D2 receptor and its future research directions. Besides, evidences have also shown that the dopamine D2 receptor plays an vital role in emotion regulation, in detail, in the pathogenesis of mood disorders. The interaction between D2 receptor and gut microbiota has become an vital research realm. Notably, previous treatment strategies mainly focused on regulating emotions through D2 receptor-targeted drugs, nonetheless, these drugs are commonly accompanied by side effects. Future research should explore the po 删除[Carpe Diem]: Lately 删除[Carpe Diem]:combination of gut microbiota intervention and D2 receptor-targeted therapy to strengthen the efficacy and reduce adverse reactions.

    Keywords: Dopamine, D2 receptor, brain-gut axis, Gut Microbiota, emotion, Behavior, Mechanism

    Received: 22 Jan 2025; Accepted: 21 Feb 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Xie and Fang. 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: Yuqing Fang, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, 250014, Shandong Province, China

    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.

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