Gut Microbiota Functional Dysbiosis Relates to Individual Diet in Subclinical Carotid Atherosclerosis

Abstract

Gut Microbiota (GM) dysbiosis associates with Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases (ACVD), but whether this also holds true in subjects without clinically manifest ACVD represents a challenge of personalized prevention. We connected exposure to diet (self-reported by food diaries) and markers of Subclinical Carotid Atherosclerosis (SCA) with individual taxonomic and functional GM profiles (from fecal metagenomic DNA) of 345 subjects without previous clinically manifest ACVD. Subjects without SCA reported consuming higher amounts of cereals, starchy vegetables, milky products, yoghurts and bakery products versus those with SCA (who reported to consume more mechanically separated meats). The variety of dietary sources significantly overlapped with the separations in GM composition between subjects without SCA and those with SCA (RV coefficient between nutrients quantities and microbial relative abundances at genus level = 0.65, p-value = 0.047). Additionally, specific bacterial species (Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in the absence of SCA and Escherichia coli in the presence of SCA) are directly related to over-representation of metagenomic pathways linked to different dietary sources (sulfur oxidation and starch degradation in absence of SCA, and metabolism of amino acids, syntheses of palmitate, choline, carnitines and Trimethylamine n-oxide in presence of SCA). These findings might contribute to hypothesize future strategies of personalized dietary intervention for primary CVD prevention setting.

Gut Microbiota and Atherosclerosis—Focusing on the Plaque Stability

“…In recent years, several studies have confirmed the presence of bacterial DNA in atherosclerotic plaque which may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease (52). In addition, researchers have also found that compared with people without atherosclerosis, the patients with atherosclerosis (Table 1) showed some differences in the gut microbiota (9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)53). Garshick et al donated aortas of Apoe-/-mice with atherosclerosis into normolipidemic wild-type mice, then feeding antibiotic.…”

“…In recent years, several studies have investigated the effects of the gut microbiota on atherosclerosis and proved that there are some connections between cardiovascular events and atherosclerotic plaque characteristics (9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19). However, the roles of the gut microbiota in the stability of plaque are still unclear.…”

Gut Microbiota and Environment in Coronary Artery Disease

“…Gut microbiota is involved in the metabolism of dietary sources and rapidly varies according to dietary habits [86]. A growing number of animal and human studies [45,70,[72][73][74][75]87,88] have reported a close relationship between dietary patterns, gut microbiota, the formation of microbiota-derived metabolites such as TMAO and the development of cardiovascular diseases (Table 6).…”

“…Thus, gut microbiota γBB→TMA/TMAO transformation may induce by omnivorous dietary patterns and chronic l-carnitine exposure [72]. A recent study of 345 adults found that in adults with SCA compared with those without SCA, higher levels of Escherichia coli were shown as well as an increased TMAO production [70]. E. coli also correlated with increased LPS absorption and macrophage activation.…”

A Synthetic Peptide Designed to Neutralize Lipopolysaccharides Attenuates Metaflammation and Diet-Induced Metabolic Derangements in Mice

“…All research was conducted under the U.K. home office project license number: 70/8350. Human samples for LL-37 determination were obtained from subjects participating in the Progressione delle Lesioni Intimali Carotidee (PILC) project, which has been extensively described elsewhere (16)(17)(18). Subjects of this study were screened at the Center for the Study of Atherosclerosis at E. Bassini Hospital (Cinisello Balsamo, Milan, Italy) for personal and familial clinical history of T2DM [defined according to validated criteria (19,20) and as previously described ( 21)].…”