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  • Review Article
  • Published:

Role of gut microbiota in atherosclerosis

Nature Reviews Cardiology volume 14, pages 79–87 (2017)Cite this article

Subjects

Key Points

  • Microorganisms that reside in the human body, the majority of which colonize the gut, might affect host physiology in various ways

  • Bacteria from the gut or the oral cavity might translocate to atherosclerotic plaques and could affect the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease

  • Microbial transplantations in mice influence diet-enhanced susceptibility to atherosclerosis and thrombosis

  • Dietary components can either alter the composition of gut microbiota or be processed into metabolites that can delay or accelerate the development of atherosclerosis

  • Trimethylamine N-oxide is a potentially harmful bacterial metabolite that influences cholesterol metabolism and thrombosis activity

  • To determine the role of the (gut) microbiota in cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis, the underlying mechanisms need to be further elucidated

Abstract

Infections have been linked to the development of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. Findings from the past decade have identified microbial ecosystems residing in different habitats of the human body that contribute to metabolic and cardiovascular-related disorders. In this Review, we describe three pathways by which microbiota might affect atherogenesis. First, local or distant infections might cause a harmful inflammatory response that aggravates plaque development or triggers plaque rupture. Second, metabolism of cholesterol and lipids by gut microbiota can affect the development of atherosclerotic plaques. Third, diet and specific components that are metabolized by gut microbiota can have various effects on atherosclerosis; for example, dietary fibre is beneficial, whereas the bacterial metabolite trimethylamine-N-oxide is considered harmful. Although specific bacterial taxa have been associated with atherosclerosis, which is supported by increasing mechanistic evidence, several questions remain to be answered to understand fully how the microbiota contributes to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Such knowledge might pave the way for novel diagnostics and therapeutics based on microbiota.

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Figure 1: Body sites of microbiota that influences atherosclerosis.
Figure 2: Microbiota-related pathways in atherosclerosis.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Anna Hallén, Walleneberg Laboratory at University of Gothenburg, Sweden, for assistance with figures and artwork. The authors' laboratory is supported by grants from AFA-insurances, the Ragnar Söderberg's Foundation, the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, the Swedish Heart Lung Foundation, the Swedish Research Council, Torsten Söderberg's, and LUA-ALF grants from Västra Götalandsregionen. F.B. is a recipient of ERC consolidator Grant 2013 (European Research Council, Consolidator grant 615362-METABASE).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Wallenberg Laboratory for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Bruna Stråket 16, Gothenburg, 41345, Sweden

    Annika Lindskog Jonsson & Fredrik Bäckhed

  2. Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Section for Metabolic Receptology and Enteroendocrinology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2200, Denmark

    Fredrik Bäckhed

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  1. Annika Lindskog Jonsson
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  2. Fredrik Bäckhed
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Both authors researched data for the article, discussed its content, and wrote, reviewed, and edited the manuscript before submission.

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Correspondence to Fredrik Bäckhed.

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Competing interests

F.B. is founder and shareholder of Metabogen AB. A.L.J. declares no competing interests.

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Jonsson, A., Bäckhed, F. Role of gut microbiota in atherosclerosis. Nat Rev Cardiol 14, 79–87 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2016.183

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