Prostate and gut: Any relationship? A narrative review on the available evidence and putative mechanisms

Abstract

BackgroundGut microbiome is a community of microorganisms that lives in the human intestine and exerts various functions on the host, including metabolic, immunoregulatory, and control over cell proliferation. Gut microbiome alterations have been associated with various pathological conditions, such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. Gut‐prostate axis is explained by the association between gut microbiome quantitative and functional alterations along with increased intestinal epithelial permeability with prostatediseases. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical importance of this association are not completely clarified yet.MethodsWe conducted a narrative review of the most relevant articles in the Medline (US National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA), Scopus (Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and Web of Science Core Collection (Thomson Reuters, Toronto, ON, Canada) databases. No chronological restrictions were applied, and the most related papers published until December 2023 were included.ResultsGut microbiota (GM) and its metabolites are capable of modifying host androgen level, as well as prostate cancer (PCa) therapy response. Moreover, patients with inflammatory bowel disease have higher rates of prostatitis‐like symptoms and a potential risk of developing PCa.ConclusionsThere is evidence that interventions on the GM and its metabolites have a high potential to serve as diagnostic and therapeutic tools for prostate diseases, including PCa.

Causal relationship between gut microbiota and prostate cancer contributes to the gut-prostate axis: insights from a Mendelian randomization study

“…Eubacteriales from the same order may have different effects on prostate cancer, which is related to the fact that different species in the same bacterial order may have different metabolic pathways and produce different metabolites. Secondly, the functions of bacteria will vary according to the host and environment, and finally we cannot ignore the interactions between bacterial groups [ 42 ]. As research in this field progresses, a more nuanced understanding of these complexities will likely emerge.…”