Gut microbiota and bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is a relatively common and severe complication of prematurity, and its pathogenesis remains ambiguous. Revolutionary advances in microbiological analysis techniques, together with the growing sophistication of the gut-lung axis hypothesis, have resulted in more studies linking gut microbiota dysbiosis to the occurrence and development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The present article builds on current findings to examine the intrinsic associations between gut microbiota and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The gut microbiota affects bronchopulmonary dysplasia via several potential mechanisms including alteration of the gut-lung axis, promotion of inflammation and the ensuing growth effects, therefore these are also investigated. By evaluating the potential mechanisms, new therapeutic targets and potential therapeutic modalities for BPD can be identified from a microecological perspective.