Enhanced intestinal protein fermentation in schizophrenia.

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Metabolomics
• Psychiatric disorders

Background:

• Emerging evidence links mental illness to gut microbiota dysbiosis and nutrition.
• Mechanisms underlying these associations, particularly in schizophrenia, are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the gut metagenome and metabolome in schizophrenia patients.
• To explore the relationship between gut microbial metabolism, diet, and schizophrenia.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 100 schizophrenia patients and 52 controls.
• Analysis of gut metagenome, fecal and plasma metabolome, and dietary intake.
• Utilized random forest models for diagnostic classification.

Main Results:

• Schizophrenia patients showed gut microbial dysbiosis with increased protein fermentation and decreased carbohydrate metabolism.
• Elevated levels of protein catabolism products and reduced protein synthesis pathways were observed.
• Diagnostic models achieved high accuracy (85-91% AUC), and microbial metabolites correlated with symptom severity.

Conclusions:

• Gut microbial metabolism in schizophrenia is characterized by a shift towards protein fermentation.
• Aberrant microbial nutrient metabolism highlights the importance of nutritional interventions and microbiota-targeted therapies for schizophrenia.