Moderate-Intensity Exercise Affects Gut Microbiome Composition and Influences Cardiac Function in Myocardial Infarction Mice

Abstract

Physical exercise is commonly regarded as protective against cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recent studies have reported that exercise alters the gut microbiota and that modification of the gut microbiota can influence cardiac function. Here, we focused on the relationships among exercise, the gut microbiota and cardiac function after myocardial infarction (MI). Four-week-old C57BL/6J mice were exercised on a treadmill for 4 weeks before undergoing left coronary artery ligation. Cardiac function was assessed using echocardiography. Gut microbiomes were evaluated post-exercise and post-MI using 16S rRNA gene sequencing on an Illumina HiSeq platform. Exercise training inhibited declines in cardiac output and stroke volume in post-MI mice. In addition, physical exercise and MI led to alterations in gut microbial composition. Exercise training increased the relative abundance of Butyricimonas and Akkermansia. Additionally, key operational taxonomic units were identified, including 24 lineages (mainly from Bacteroidetes, Barnesiella, Helicobacter, Parabacteroides, Porphyromonadaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Ureaplasma) that were closely related to exercise and cardiac function. These results suggested that exercise training improved cardiac function to some extent in addition to altering the gut microbiota; therefore, they could provide new insights into the use of exercise training for the treatment of CVD.

Exercise training modifies gut microbiota with attenuated host responses to sepsis in wild‐type mice

“…Along with improved cardiac function in myocardial infarction mice, Liu et al . (27) showed that exercise training increased biodiversity and the relative abundance of key taxa with health‐promoting metabolic activities, such as Butyricimonas, Prevotella, and Akkermansia. Other studies also showed that exercise training resulted in a significant decrease in the abundance of potentially pathogenic Bacteroidetes such as Bacteroides vulgatus (28) and increases in the abundance of anti‐inflammatory and antiobesity Verrucomicrobia, such as Akkermansia muciniphila (29).…”

“…For example, Lambert et al (24) showed that 6 wk of low-intensity treadmill running resulted in lower abundances of Bacteroidetes genera (26) showed that running and wheeling exercise led to higher abundances of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria phyla in fecal samples of mice. Along with improved cardiac function in myocardial infarction mice, Liu et al (27) showed that exercise training increased biodiversity and the relative abundance of key taxa with health-promoting metabolic activities, such as Butyricimonas, Prevotella, and Akkermansia. Other studies also showed that exercise training resulted in a significant decrease in the abundance of potentially pathogenic Bacteroidetes such as Bacteroides vulgatus (28) and increases in the abundance of anti-inflammatory and antiobesity Verrucomicrobia, such as Akkermansia muciniphila (29).…”

Exercising the hepatobiliary‐gut axis. The impact of physical activity performance

“…168 It has also been hypothesized that a higher training regime plus a higher intake of protein (as in many endurance athletes) may negatively influence the microbiota composition. 170 Other studies, however, found only moderate changes to gut microbiota composition and no significant changes reported in the inflammatory profile, after a moderate aerobic exercise intervention in mice. 169 In mice, there is a significant relationship between myocardial infarction and gut microbiota composition after physical exercise.…”

The gut microbiota and its interactions with cardiovascular disease

“…Several studies suggest that exercise elevates the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (Petriz, et al , ; Lambert, et al , ) and increases the levels of the bacterial metabolite butyrate (Allen, et al , ). Alterations in the gut microbial structure induced by physical exercise are associated with the prevention of cardiac dysfunction in myocardial infarction mice (Liu, et al , ). Interestingly, LPS levels are elevated in CVD and some cardiometabolic disorders (Kallio, et al , ), and high‐endurance training can decrease plasma LPS levels (Lira, et al , ).…”