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Review
. 2025 May 13:15:1587463.
doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1587463. eCollection 2025.

The progress of the microbe-gut-brain axis in sepsis-associated encephalopathy

Chen He  1   2 , Hui Shi  2 , Zhijie Yu  3 , Chunhan Ma  1 , Zhiqiang Jiao  1 , Jin Li  1 , Fei Yang  1   2
Affiliations
Review

The progress of the microbe-gut-brain axis in sepsis-associated encephalopathy

Chen He et al. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. .

Abstract

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a diffuse brain dysfunction that is caused by sepsis without direct brain injury or central nervous system infection and is manifested as anxiety-like behavior and cognitive dysfunction. The microbiota-gut-brain axis, on the other hand, is a bidirectional communication network between the gut and the brain that modulates host behavior and cognitive function in many ways and is of central importance in the preservation of general health and homeostasis. Given the functional roles attributed to the microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA), contemporary research is progressively focused on elucidating relationships between SAE and alterations in compositional and quantitative intestinal microbiota profiles. This review consolidates interdisciplinary insights from immunology, microbiology, neuroendocrine signaling, and neural pathophysiology to evaluate the mechanistic contribution of the MGBA to the relief of cognitive impairments in SAE. By unifying these perspectives, with the aim of preventing or enhancing SAE-related neurological dysfunction for the formulation of MGBA-targeted therapeutic strategies.

Keywords: gut microbiota; microbe-gut-brain axis; neuroendocrine; neuroimmune; sepsis-associated encephalopathy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Different states of the microbe-gut-brain axis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Four pathways through which the gut-brain axis transmits inflammatory signals.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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