Science: The missing link between high-fat diet, microbiota and heart disease

A study published in the journal Science on August 13 shows that a high-fat diet destroys the biological properties of the intestinal lining and its microbial community, and promotes the production of a metabolite that may cause heart disease

Mariana Byndloss, MD, assistant professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said that the discovery of animal models supports the key role of the gut and microbiota in the development of cardiovascular disease

She pointed out that scientists trying to understand the effects of obesity have done relatively little research on the gut

"Before the new coronary pneumonia, obesity and metabolic syndrome were considered pandemics in the 21st century

In previous studies, Dr.

The collaborative research team found that in animal models, a high-fat diet can cause inflammation and damage intestinal epithelial cells

These factors in turn stimulate the growth of harmful Enterobacteriaceae microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli, and promote the production of a metabolite called TMA (trimethylamine) by the bacteria

Byndloss said: "It is well known that high-fat diets can cause ecological dysbiosis, which is an imbalance in the microbiota that favors harmful microorganisms, but we don't know why or how this happens

Researchers proved that in animal models, a drug currently approved for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease can restore the function of intestinal epithelial cells and inhibit the increase of trimethylamine oxide

Byndloss said: "This shows that it is possible to prevent the negative consequences of a high-fat diet

"Only by fully understanding the relationship between the host during health and disease-us and the gut microbes, can we design effective treatments to effectively control obesity and obesity-related outcomes (such as cardiovascular disease)

Byndloss and her team plan to extend their research to animal models of cardiovascular disease

DOI

10.

Article title

High-fat diet-induced colonocyte dysfunction escalates microbiota-derived trimethylamine-N-oxide