Aim
Gut microbiota-derived metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) have vasodilator
properties in animal and human ex vivo arteries. However, the role of the gut microbiota and SCFAs in arterial stiffness
in humans is still unclear. Here we aimed to determine associations between the gut
microbiome, SCFA and their G-protein coupled sensing receptors (GPCRs) in relation
to human arterial stiffness.
Methods
Ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) was determined from ambulatory blood pressure
(BP) monitoring in 69 participants from regional and metropolitan regions in Australia
(55.1% women; mean, 59.8± SD, 7.26 years of age). The gut microbiome was determined
by 16S rRNA sequencing, SCFA levels by gas chromatography, and GPCR expression in
circulating immune cells by real-time PCR.
Results
There was no association between metrics of bacterial α and β diversity and AASI or
AASI quartiles in men and women. We identified two main bacteria taxa that were associated
with AASI quartiles: Lactobacillus spp. was only present in the lowest quartile, while Clostridium spp. was present in all quartiles but the lowest. AASI was positively associated
with higher levels of plasma, but not faecal, butyrate. Finally, we identified that
the expression of GPR43 (FFAR2) and GPR41 (FFAR3) in circulating immune cells were negatively associated with AASI.
Conclusions
Our results suggest that arterial stiffness is associated with lower levels of the
metabolite-sensing receptors GPR41/GPR43 in humans, blunting its response to BP-lowering
metabolites such as butyrate. The role of Lactobacillus spp. and Clostridium spp., as well as butyrate-sensing receptors GPR41/GPR43, in human arterial stiffness
needs to be determined.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 24, 2021
Accepted:
July 26,
2021
Received in revised form:
July 21,
2021
Received:
July 11,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ).
