The role of the gut microbiota in health and cardiovascular diseases

Abstract

The gut microbiota is critical to human health, such as digesting nutrients, forming the intestinal epithelial barrier, regulating immune function, producing vitamins and hormones, and producing metabolites to interact with the host. Meanwhile, increasing evidence indicates that the gut microbiota has a strong correlation with the occurrence, progression and treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In patients with CVDs and corresponding risk factors, the composition and ratio of gut microbiota have significant differences compared with their healthy counterparts. Therefore, gut microbiota dysbiosis, gut microbiota-generated metabolites, and the related signaling pathway may serve as explanations for some of the mechanisms about the occurrence and development of CVDs. Several studies have also demonstrated that many traditional and latest therapeutic treatments of CVDs are associated with the gut microbiota and its generated metabolites and related signaling pathways. Given that information, we summarized the latest advances in the current research regarding the effect of gut microbiota on health, the main cardiovascular risk factors, and CVDs, highlighted the roles and mechanisms of several metabolites, and introduced corresponding promising treatments for CVDs regarding the gut microbiota. Therefore, this review mainly focuses on exploring the role of gut microbiota related metabolites and their therapeutic potential in CVDs, which may eventually provide better solutions in the development of therapeutic treatment as well as the prevention of CVDs.

Intestinal Microbiomics in Physiological and Pathological Conditions

“…Patients with persistent AF manifest an increase in Ruminococcus, Streptococcus, and Enterococcus, and bacteria, such as Faecali bacterium, Oscillobacter, and Biliophilus, were decreased [164]. An imbalance of microbiota leads to damage in the intestinal barrier function that in turn can promote atrial electrical remodeling by increasing the activity of NLRP3 inflammasome [165,166].…”

Protopanaxadiol manipulates gut microbiota to promote bone marrow hematopoiesis and enhance immunity in cyclophosphamide‐induced immunosuppression mice

“…The gut microbiota plays an important role in maintaining immune homeostasis 10,11 . Under normal physiological conditions, the gut microbiota is in a dynamic balance with the immune system, which plays a critical role in maintaining human health 12 .…”

“…Under normal physiological conditions, the gut microbiota is in a dynamic balance with the immune system, which plays a critical role in maintaining human health 12 . Disruption of gut microbiota will upset this balance, and the immune system will be compromised, leading to inflammation and related diseases 10,13 . Chemotherapeutic agents often disrupt the ecological balance of gut microbiota, lead to the overexpression of certain pathogenic bacteria, and promote the occurrence of chronic inflammation and immunosuppression 14,15 .…”

“…The gut microbiota plays an important role in maintaining immune homeostasis. 10,11 Under normal physiological conditions, the gut microbiota is in a dynamic balance with the immune system, which plays a critical role in maintaining human health. 12 Disruption of gut microbiota will upset this balance, and the immune system will be compromised, leading to inflammation and related diseases.…”

“…12 Disruption of gut microbiota will upset this balance, and the immune system will be compromised, leading to inflammation and related diseases. 10,13 Chemotherapeutic agents often disrupt the ecological balance of gut microbiota, lead to the overexpression of certain pathogenic bacteria, and promote the occurrence of chronic inflammation and immunosuppression. 14,15 Therefore, the concurrent use of gut microbiota modulators in cancer chemotherapy is considered to be a promising strategy.…”