Systematic review of gut microbiota composition, metabolic alterations, and the effects of treatments on PCOS and gut microbiota across human and animal studies

IntroductionPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder affecting around 12% of women globally, associated with infertility and various comorbidities. Emerging evidence suggests a crucial role of gut microbiota in PCOS pathophysiology, prompting research to investigate alterations in g...

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Main Authors: Aya Hanna, Hassan Abbas, Fayez Yassine, Alia AlBush, Melhem Bilen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Microbiology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1549499/full
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author Aya Hanna
Hassan Abbas
Fayez Yassine
Alia AlBush
Melhem Bilen
Melhem Bilen
Melhem Bilen
author_facet Aya Hanna
Hassan Abbas
Fayez Yassine
Alia AlBush
Melhem Bilen
Melhem Bilen
Melhem Bilen
author_sort Aya Hanna
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder affecting around 12% of women globally, associated with infertility and various comorbidities. Emerging evidence suggests a crucial role of gut microbiota in PCOS pathophysiology, prompting research to investigate alterations in gut microbial composition in patients with PCOS.MethodsThis systematic review aims to analyze human and animal studies that compare gut microbiota composition, gut-derived metabolites, and treatment interventions in PCOS patients versus healthy controls. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, yielding studies examining gut microbiota, metabolomic shifts, and treatment responses in PCOS models and human populations.ResultsOur analysis revealed decreases in alpha diversity in PCOS patients, with more pronounced changes in beta diversity in animal models. Specific bacterial taxa, such as Bacteroides vulgatus, Escherichia-Shigella and Lactobacillus, showed implication in PCOS pathogenesis, suggesting potential microbial markers. Furthermore, discrepancies between human and animal studies show the need for humanized mouse models to bridge this gap. Interventions like probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) showed varying levels of efficacy, with FMT emerging as a more promising but invasive option, offering live bacteriotherapy as a potential therapeutic alternative. Alterations in gut-derived metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids and bile acids, highlighted the multifaceted nature of PCOS, with implications extending to metabolic, hormonal, and gut-brain axis disruptions.DiscussionIn conclusion, PCOS exhibits complex interactions between gut microbiota and metabolic pathways, necessitating further research with standardized methods and larger sample sizes to elucidate the microbiome's role in PCOS.
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spelling doaj-art-8c09d4fb2b0a473481c5dbca1554103d2025-08-20T03:09:48ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2025-05-011610.3389/fmicb.2025.15494991549499Systematic review of gut microbiota composition, metabolic alterations, and the effects of treatments on PCOS and gut microbiota across human and animal studiesAya Hanna0Hassan Abbas1Fayez Yassine2Alia AlBush3Melhem Bilen4Melhem Bilen5Melhem Bilen6Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, LebanonDepartment of Experimental Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, LebanonDepartment of Experimental Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, LebanonDepartment of Experimental Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, LebanonDepartment of Experimental Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, LebanonCentre for Infectious Diseases Research, American University of Beirut, Beirut, LebanonWorld Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Bacterial Pathogens, Beirut, LebanonIntroductionPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder affecting around 12% of women globally, associated with infertility and various comorbidities. Emerging evidence suggests a crucial role of gut microbiota in PCOS pathophysiology, prompting research to investigate alterations in gut microbial composition in patients with PCOS.MethodsThis systematic review aims to analyze human and animal studies that compare gut microbiota composition, gut-derived metabolites, and treatment interventions in PCOS patients versus healthy controls. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, yielding studies examining gut microbiota, metabolomic shifts, and treatment responses in PCOS models and human populations.ResultsOur analysis revealed decreases in alpha diversity in PCOS patients, with more pronounced changes in beta diversity in animal models. Specific bacterial taxa, such as Bacteroides vulgatus, Escherichia-Shigella and Lactobacillus, showed implication in PCOS pathogenesis, suggesting potential microbial markers. Furthermore, discrepancies between human and animal studies show the need for humanized mouse models to bridge this gap. Interventions like probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) showed varying levels of efficacy, with FMT emerging as a more promising but invasive option, offering live bacteriotherapy as a potential therapeutic alternative. Alterations in gut-derived metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids and bile acids, highlighted the multifaceted nature of PCOS, with implications extending to metabolic, hormonal, and gut-brain axis disruptions.DiscussionIn conclusion, PCOS exhibits complex interactions between gut microbiota and metabolic pathways, necessitating further research with standardized methods and larger sample sizes to elucidate the microbiome's role in PCOS.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1549499/fullpolycystic ovary syndromegastrointestinal microbiomeendocrine system diseasesfecal microbiota transplantationmetagenomicsmetabolomics
spellingShingle Aya Hanna
Hassan Abbas
Fayez Yassine
Alia AlBush
Melhem Bilen
Melhem Bilen
Melhem Bilen
Systematic review of gut microbiota composition, metabolic alterations, and the effects of treatments on PCOS and gut microbiota across human and animal studies
Frontiers in Microbiology
polycystic ovary syndrome
gastrointestinal microbiome
endocrine system diseases
fecal microbiota transplantation
metagenomics
metabolomics
title Systematic review of gut microbiota composition, metabolic alterations, and the effects of treatments on PCOS and gut microbiota across human and animal studies
title_full Systematic review of gut microbiota composition, metabolic alterations, and the effects of treatments on PCOS and gut microbiota across human and animal studies
title_fullStr Systematic review of gut microbiota composition, metabolic alterations, and the effects of treatments on PCOS and gut microbiota across human and animal studies
title_full_unstemmed Systematic review of gut microbiota composition, metabolic alterations, and the effects of treatments on PCOS and gut microbiota across human and animal studies
title_short Systematic review of gut microbiota composition, metabolic alterations, and the effects of treatments on PCOS and gut microbiota across human and animal studies
title_sort systematic review of gut microbiota composition metabolic alterations and the effects of treatments on pcos and gut microbiota across human and animal studies
topic polycystic ovary syndrome
gastrointestinal microbiome
endocrine system diseases
fecal microbiota transplantation
metagenomics
metabolomics
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1549499/full
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