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Review
. 2022 Sep 24;20(1):430.
doi: 10.1186/s12967-022-03631-0.

The potential impact of a probiotic: Akkermansia muciniphila in the regulation of blood pressure-the current facts and evidence

Arun Prasath Lakshmanan #  1 , Selvasankar Murugesan #  2 , Souhaila Al Khodor  2 , Annalisa Terranegra  3
Affiliations
Review

The potential impact of a probiotic: Akkermansia muciniphila in the regulation of blood pressure-the current facts and evidence

Arun Prasath Lakshmanan et al. J Transl Med. .

Abstract

Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) is present in the human gut microbiota from infancy and gradually increases in adulthood. The potential impact of the abundance of A. muciniphila has been studied in major cardiovascular diseases including elevated blood pressure or hypertension (HTN). HTN is a major factor in premature death worldwide, and approximately 1.28 billion adults aged 30-79 years have hypertension. A. muciniphila is being considered a next-generation probiotic and though numerous studies had highlighted the positive role of A. muciniphila in lowering/controlling the HTN, however, few studies had highlighted the negative impact of increased abundance of A. muciniphila in the management of HTN. Thus, in the review, we aimed to discuss the current facts, evidence, and controversy about the role of A. muciniphila in the pathophysiology of HTN and its potential effect on HTN management/regulation, which could be beneficial in identifying the drug target for the management of HTN.

Keywords: Akkermansia muciniphila; Blood pressure; Gut microbiome; Gut microbiota; Hypertension; Metagenomic.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors listed in this manuscript, Dr. Souhaila Al Khodor serve as an Editorial Board member and Dr. Selvasankar Murugesan serve as Associate Editor in one of the JTRM Journal’s sections—Translational Metagenomics. Other than this, the author(s) declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic representation of the possible mechanism of action of A. muciniphila on the control of BP. The potential possible mechanisms of A. muciniphila to control the BP are (1) the degradation of mucin to secrete the SCFAs, especially acetate and propionate that reduces plasma leptin secretion and sympathetic activity through the secretion of GLP-1/GLP-2 in enteroendocrine L-cells via G-protein-coupled receptors; (2) maintenance of gut barrier integrity through the regulation of the tight junctions proteins (occludins, claudins, zona occludens), and activation of TLR2 pathway through the reduction of LPS synthesis and inflammatory markers; (3) utilization of H2S to produce cysteine which improves the BP; (4) direct action (possibly) on the renin-angiotensin-II pathway, and (5) reduction of oxidative stress induced by TMAO through the dietary L-carnitine metabolite
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Supplementary concepts