Gut Bacteria & Heart Health: New Research
Gut Microbes May Impact Cholesterol and heart Health
The gut microbiome’s role in diseases like type 2 diabetes and obesity is well-documented. Now, research indicates that gut microbes may also influence cardiovascular disease. A study from the Broad Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard identifies specific bacteria that consume cholesterol in the gut, potentially lowering cholesterol and reducing heart disease risk.
Researchers, including Chenhao Li and Martin Stražar from Ramnik Xavier’s lab, analyzed data from over 1,400 participants in the Framingham heart Study. They found that oscillibacter bacteria metabolize cholesterol, and individuals with higher levels of this microbe had lower cholesterol. The team also pinpointed the likely mechanism the bacteria use to break down cholesterol,suggesting that targeted microbiome interventions could decrease cholesterol levels.
“Our research integrates findings from human subjects with experimental validation to ensure we achieve actionable mechanistic insight that will serve as starting points to improve cardiovascular health,” said Xavier, a core institute member at the Broad.
The study combined metagenomic sequencing and metabolomics to study stool samples, uncovering over 16,000 associations between microbes and metabolic traits. notably, individuals with oscillibacter had lower cholesterol. These bacteria where surprisingly abundant, representing about 1% of all gut bacteria.
The team successfully grew Oscillibacter in the lab and used mass spectrometry to identify cholesterol metabolism byproducts, determining the pathways used to lower cholesterol. They found that the bacteria convert cholesterol into intermediate products that other bacteria break down and excrete. Machine-learning models helped identify the enzymes responsible for this conversion.
Another bacterial species, Eubacterium coprostanoligenes, also contributes to decreased cholesterol. It may have a synergistic effect with Oscillibacter, suggesting that studying combinations of bacterial species could reveal how microbial communities affect human health and gut health.
Li noted the importance of understanding how microbes interact within the gut,suggesting that focusing on specific bacteria or genes could lead to better therapeutic strategies for cholesterol management and heart health.
What’s next
Researchers aim to identify other metabolic pathways impacted by gut microbes, potentially leading to new therapeutic targets for cardiovascular disease.