Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Jan 3;13(1):144.
doi: 10.3390/nu13010144.

Role of Gut Microbiota and Their Metabolites on Atherosclerosis, Hypertension and Human Blood Platelet Function: A Review

Asim K Duttaroy  1
Affiliations
Review

Role of Gut Microbiota and Their Metabolites on Atherosclerosis, Hypertension and Human Blood Platelet Function: A Review

Asim K Duttaroy. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Emerging data have demonstrated a strong association between the gut microbiota and the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as atherosclerosis, inflammation, obesity, insulin resistance, platelet hyperactivity, and plasma lipid abnormalities. Several studies in humans and animal models have demonstrated an association between gut microbial metabolites such as trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), short-chain fatty acids, and bile acid metabolites (amino acid breakdown products) with CVD. Human blood platelets are a critical contributor to the hemostatic process. Besides, these blood cells play a crucial role in developing atherosclerosis and, finally, contribute to cardiac events. Since the TMAO, and other metabolites of the gut microbiota, are asociated with platelet hyperactivity, lipid disorders, and oxidative stress, the diet-gut microbiota interactions have become an important research area in the cardiovascular field. The gut microbiota and their metabolites may be targeted for the therapeutic benefit of CVD from a clinical perspective. This review's main aim is to highlight the complex interactions between microbiota, their metabolites, and several CVD risk factors.

Keywords: CVD; GPIIb-IIIa; TMA; TMAO; atherosclerosis; hypertension; microbiota; platelet; platelet hyperactivity; polyphenols; short-chain fatty acids.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The author expresses no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Impact of plasma levels of TMAO on atherosclerosis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The main mechanisms associated with gut microbiota and hypertension.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Role of platelets in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Kwan G.F., Mayosi B.M., Mocumbi A.O., Miranda J.J., Ezzati M., Jain Y., Robles G., Benjamin E.J., Subramanian S.V., Bukhman G. Endemic Cardiovascular Diseases of the Poorest Billion. Circulation. 2016;133:2561–2575. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.116.008731. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Writing Group M., Mozaffarian D., Benjamin E.J., Go A.S., Arnett D.K., Blaha M.J., Cushman M., Das S.R., de Ferranti S., Despres J.P., et al. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2016 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2016;133:e38–e360. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000350. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Zhu W., Gregory J.C., Org E., Buffa J.A., Gupta N., Wang Z., Li L., Fu X., Wu Y., Mehrabian M., et al. Gut Microbial Metabolite TMAO Enhances Platelet Hyperreactivity and Thrombosis Risk. Cell. 2016;165:111–124. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.02.011. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wang H., Zhang W., Zuo L., Dong J., Zhu W., Li Y., Gu L., Gong J., Li Q., Li N., et al. Intestinal dysbacteriosis contributes to decreased intestinal mucosal barrier function and increased bacterial translocation. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 2014;58:384–392. doi: 10.1111/lam.12201. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Willoughby S., Holmes A., Loscalzo J. Platelets and cardiovascular disease. Eur. J. Cardiovasc. Nurs. 2002;1:273–288. doi: 10.1016/S1474-5151(02)00038-5. - DOI - PubMed