Gut Microbiota Modulation of Short Bowel Syndrome and the Gut–Brain Axis

Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a condition that results from a reduction in the length of the intestine or its functional capacity. SBS patients can have significant side effects and complications, the etiology of which remains ill-defined. Thus, facilitating intestinal adaptation in SBS remains a major research focus. Emerging data supports the role of the gut microbiome in modulating disease progression. There has been ongoing debate on defining a “healthy” gut microbiome, which has led to many studies analyzing the bacterial composition and shifts that occur in gastrointestinal disease states such as SBS and the resulting systemic effects. In SBS, it has also been found that microbial shifts are highly variable and dependent on many factors, including the anatomical location of bowel resection, length, and structure of the remnant bowel, as well as associated small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Recent data also notes a bidirectional communication that occurs between enteric and central nervous systems called the gut–brain axis (GBA), which is regulated by the gut microbes. Ultimately, the role of the microbiome in disease states such as SBS have many clinical implications and warrant further investigation. The focus of this review is to characterize the role of the gut microbiota in short bowel syndrome and its impact on the GBA, as well as the therapeutic potential of altering the microbiome.