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Review
. 2022 Mar 16:9:856901.
doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.856901. eCollection 2022.

The Interplay Between Gut Microbiota and miRNAs in Cardiovascular Diseases

Ruxandra Florentina Ionescu  1 , Robert Mihai Enache  2 , Sanda Maria Cretoiu  3 , Dragos Cretoiu  3   4
Affiliations
Review

The Interplay Between Gut Microbiota and miRNAs in Cardiovascular Diseases

Ruxandra Florentina Ionescu et al. Front Cardiovasc Med. .

Abstract

The human microbiota contains microorganisms found on the skin, mucosal surfaces and in other tissues. The major component, the gut microbiota, can be influenced by diet, genetics, and environmental factors. Any change in its composition results in pathophysiological changes that can further influence the evolution of different conditions, including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The microbiome is a complex ecosystem and can be considered the metagenome of the microbiota. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are speculated to interact with the intestinal microbiota for modulating gene expressions of the host. miRNAs represent a category of small non-coding RNAs, consisting of approximately 22 nucleotides, which can regulate gene expression at post-transcriptional level, by influencing the degradation of mRNA and modifying protein amounts. miRNAs display a multitude of roles, being able to influence the pathogenesis and progression of various diseases. Circulating miRNAs are stable against degradation, due to their enclosure into extracellular vesicles (EVs). This review aims to assess the current knowledge of the possible interactions between gut microbiota, miRNAs, and CVDs. As more scientific research is conducted, it can be speculated that personalized patient care in the future may include the management of gut microbiota composition and the targeted treatment against certain expression of miRNAs.

Keywords: cardiovascular diseases; gut microbiome; gut microbiota; miRNA; trimethylamine oxide (TMAO).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
TMAO pathway. Dietary precursors, like carnitine, choline and phosphatidylcholine are metabolized by gut microbiota into trimethylamine (TMA), which will interact with flavin monooxygenases (FMOs) in the liver, producing trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), an important factor in the pathogenesis of CVD. Created with BioRender.com (Last accessed on 16 January 2022).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Gut microbiota, its metabolites and their effect on CVDs. TMA, trimethylamine; TMAO, trimethylamine N-oxide; PAG, phenylacetylglutamine; SCFAs, short-chain fatty acid; LPS, lipopolysaccharide. Created with BioRender.com (Last accessed on 16 January 2022).
Figure 3
Figure 3
miRNAs association with fundamental processes involved in the evolution of atherosclerosis. Created with BioRender.com (Last accessed on 16 January 2022).
Figure 4
Figure 4
The relationship between gut microbiota, miRNAs, and CVDs. Different types of miRNAs and gut microbiota metabolites can influence each other, influencing the regulation of epithelial dysfunction and leading to many CVDs.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Dietary influence on miRNAs. Dietary food components can influence gene expression, modifying the pathogenesis of different diseases, like cancer, obesity, and CVDs. Created with BioRender.com (Last accessed on 12 January 2022).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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