A consortium of three-bacteria isolated from human feces inhibits formation of atherosclerotic deposits and lowers lipid levels in a mouse model

Zhuye Jie, Qian Zhu, Yuanqiang Zou, Qili Wu, Min Qin, Dongdong He, Xiaoqian Lin, Xin Tong, Jiahao Zhang, Zhu Jie, Wenwei Luo, Xiao Xiao, Shiyu Chen, Yonglin Wu, Gongjie Guo, Shufen Zheng, Yong Li, Weihua Lai, Huanming Yang, Jian WangLiang Xiao, Jiyan Chen, Tao Zhang, Karsten Kristiansen*, Huijue Jia, Shilong Zhong

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

By a survey of metagenome-wide association studies (MWAS), we found a robust depletion of Bacteroides cellulosilyticus, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Roseburia intestinalis in individuals with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD). From an established collection of bacteria isolated from healthy Chinese individuals, we selected B. cellulosilyticus, R. intestinalis, and Faecalibacterium longum, a bacterium related to F. prausnitzii, and tested the effects of these bacteria in an Apoe/− atherosclerosis mouse model. We show that administration of these three bacterial species to Apoe−/− mice robustly improves cardiac function, reduces plasma lipid levels, and attenuates the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Comprehensive analysis of gut microbiota, plasma metabolome, and liver transcriptome revealed that the beneficial effects are associated with a modulation of the gut microbiota linked to a 7α-dehydroxylation–lithocholic acid (LCA)–farnesoid X receptor (FXR) pathway. Our study provides insights into transcriptional and metabolic impact whereby specific bacteria may hold promises for prevention/treatment of ACVD.

Original languageEnglish
Article number106960
JournaliScience
Volume26
Issue number6
Number of pages22
ISSN2589-0042
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Bibliographical note

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Keywords

  • Bacteriology
  • Human metabolism
  • Microbial metabolism
  • Microbiology

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