Gut microbiome sheds light on the development and treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm

Abstract

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an inflammatory vascular disease with high disability and mortality. Its susceptible risk factors include old age, being male, smoking, hypertension, and aortic atherosclerosis. With the improvement of screening techniques, AAA incidence and number of deaths caused by aneurysm rupture increase annually, attracting much clinical attention. Due to the lack of non-invasive treatment, early detection and development of novel treatment of AAA is an urgent clinical concern. The pathophysiology and progression of AAA are characterized by inflammatory destruction. The gut microbiota is an “invisible organ” that directly or indirectly affects the vascular wall inflammatory cell infiltration manifested with enhanced arterial wall gut microbiota and metabolites, which plays an important role in the formation and progression of AAA. As such, the gut microbiome may become an important risk factor for AAA. This review summarizes the direct and indirect effects of the gut microbiome on the pathogenesis of AAA and highlights the gut microbiome-mediated inflammatory responses and discoveries of relevant therapeutic targets that may help manage the development and rupture of AAA.

Causal association between gut microbiomes and different types of aneurysms: a Mendelian randomization study

“…The dysbiosis of gut microbiomes may cause metabolic, immune, and neurological diseases ( Strandwitz, 2018 ; Xu et al, 2021 ). As an invisible organ, it could directly influence the vascular wall inflammatory cell infiltration manifested in an enhanced vascular wall, which is important in the progression of aneurysms ( Ling et al, 2022 ). Our study through MR analysis explored gut microbiomes that were associated with the formation and progression of aneurysms, and shed light on the potential role of gut microbiomes in preventing the occurrence and progression of aneurysms ( Ling et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Heatmap plot of the relationship between the gut microbiomes and aneurysms. of aneurysms, and shed light on the potential role of gut microbiomes in preventing the occurrence and progression of aneurysms (Ling et al, 2022).…”

“…Previous studies demonstrated that intervention in gut microbiota and its metabolites could not only reduce the development of aneurysms, but also prevent their rupture ( Ling et al, 2022 ; Zou et al, 2022 ). Additionally, different types of gut microbiota are also associated with the formation of aneurysms ( Xie et al, 2020 ; Zou et al, 2022 ).…”

Gut Microbiota and Vascular Diseases: An Update

“…Rupture of AAA always causes death, although no effective pharmacological therapy is available to delay AAA development [47]. Emerging evidence suggests that the gut microbiota is robustly involved in AAA progression [48]. In an analysis of 30 AAA patients, diminished Bacteroidetes has been observed [49].…”

Gut Microbiota and Microbial Metabolism in Early Risk of Cardiometabolic Disease

“…291,292 However, plaque formation or expansion may be mediated by microbe-derived small RNAs, which can be carried by LDL cholesterol, and activate macrophages, potentiating the development of atherosclerosis. 293 Microbiota, as assessed through microbiome composition, have been implicated in multiple cardiovascular diseases, including pulmonary arterial hypertension, 294 abdominal aortic aneurysm, 295 heart failure, 296 heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, 297 heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, 298 and coronary artery disease. 299 However, most studies have included relatively small sample sizes, with little or no replication, leaving considerable uncertainty surrounding the clinical or mechanistic relevance of specific findings.…”