Hypertension of Developmental Origins: Consideration of Gut Microbiome in Animal Models

Area of Science:

• Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
• Microbiome Research
• Cardiovascular Disease Etiology

Background:

• Hypertension is a leading global health burden, with origins potentially established early in life.
• Maternal factors like malnutrition, medical conditions, medications, and environmental toxins during early development can influence offspring health.
• Growing evidence links maternal insults to altered gut microbiota composition, impacting offspring development and long-term health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of animal models in understanding the mechanisms of hypertension with developmental origins.
• To explore the connection between gut microbiota, developmental insults, and hypertension.
• To highlight the potential of gut microbiota-targeted therapies for preventing hypertension.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on animal models of hypertension with developmental origins.
• Analysis of studies investigating the impact of early-life environmental insults on gut microbiota.
• Examination of research on gut microbiota-targeted interventions in animal models.

Main Results:

• Animal models provide crucial evidence for the causal link between early-life insults and later-life hypertension.
• Maternal insults can induce gut dysbiosis, contributing to adverse offspring outcomes, including hypertension.
• Early-life gut microbiota modulation shows promise as a preventive strategy against hypertension.

Conclusions:

• Animal models are instrumental in elucidating the mechanisms of developmental origins of hypertension.
• The gut microbiota plays a significant role in mediating the effects of early-life insults on hypertension.
• Targeting the gut microbiota early in life represents a promising novel strategy for hypertension prevention.