The Houston researchers point out that hypertension is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, conditions recognized today as the main causes of death. More recently, new studies have highlighted the possible harmful effects of disruption of the microbiota, or intestinal dysbiosis, on blood pressure. Finally, the same team had already shown that the composition of the intestinal microbiota in animal models of hypertension is different from that of models with normal blood pressure. Thus, the transplantation of dysbiotic intestinal microbiota from a hypertensive animal to an animal with normal tension results in arterial hypertension (hypertension) in the recipient.
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The microbiota involved in the regulation of blood pressure
This is the team’s hypothesis: thus, intestinal dysbiosis is not only a consequence but can also be a cause of hypertension.
Manipulating the dysbiotic microbiota to prevent or relieve hypertension? The team built on previous research suggesting that fasting is both a major contributor to the composition of the gut microbiota and a promoter of beneficial cardiovascular effects. By working on a model mouse for hypertension, the team shows that a group of mice subjected to limited access to food (intermittent fasting) benefit from a significant drop in their blood pressure. The transplantation of the microbiota of mice having had to fast or without restriction of access to food, to animals without germs or without microbiota also shows that when these animals receive the microbiota from normally fed counterparts, they have a higher blood pressure than the animals. animals that received the microbiota from fasting homogues.
Thus, the changes in the microbiota induced by fasting are sufficient to mediate the hypotensive effect.
How does the gut microbiota regulate blood pressure? The researchers note, via various analyzes, that in the event of intermittent fasting, the alterations of the products of the metabolism of bile acids play the role of mediators of the regulation of arterial pressure. In practice, hypertensive animals have lower circulating bile acid levels than normotensive animals. Animals on intermittent fasting had even more circulating bile acids than normotensive animals.
A new therapeutic avenue? Supplementation of animals with cholic acid, a primary bile acid, also significantly reduced blood pressure in hypertensive model animals.
The study shows for the first time that intermittent fasting can be beneficial in terms of reducing hypertension by reshaping the composition of the gut microbiota. In contrast, intestinal dysbiosis contributes to hypertension by altering bile acid signaling.
With obvious clinical implications and applications.
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