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Updated: Jun 15, 2025
Author Spotlight: Gut Microbiome-Lung Tissue Communication Through Short-Chain Fatty Acid Analysis
Published on: June 21, 2024
Antibiotic-induced gut microbiota disruption promotes vascular calcification by reducing short-chain fatty acid
Shi-Yu Zeng1, Yi-Fu Liu2,3, Zhao-Lin Zeng1
1Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, China.
Background:
Vascular calcification is a common vascular lesion associated with high morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular events. Antibiotics can disrupt the gut microbiota (GM) and have been shown to exacerbate or attenuate several human diseases. However, whether antibiotic-induced GM disruption affects vascular calcification remains unclear.
Methods:
Antibiotic cocktail (ABX) treatment was utilized to test the potential effects of antibiotics on vascular calcification. The effects of antibiotics on GM and serum short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in vascular calcification mice were analyzed using 16 S rRNA gene sequencing and targeted metabolomics, respectively. Further, the effects of acetate, propionate and butyrate on vascular calcification were evaluated. Finally, the potential mechanism by which acetate inhibits osteogenic transformation of VSMCs was explored by proteomics.
Results:
ABX and vancomycin exacerbated vascular calcification. 16 S rRNA gene sequencing and targeted metabolomics analyses showed that ABX and vancomycin treatments resulted in decreased abundance of Bacteroidetes in the fecal microbiota of the mice and decreased serum levels of SCFAs. In addition, supplementation with acetate was found to reduce calcium salt deposition in the aorta of mice and inhibit osteogenic transformation in VSMCs. Finally, using proteomics, we found that the inhibition of osteogenic transformation of VSMCs by acetate may be related to glutathione metabolism and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. After adding the glutathione inhibitor Buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) and the ubiquitination inhibitor MG132, we found that the inhibitory effect of acetate on VSMC osteogenic differentiation was weakened by the intervention of BSO, but MG132 had no effect.
Conclusion:
ABX exacerbates vascular calcification, possibly by depleting the abundance of Bacteroidetes and SCFAs in the intestine. Supplementation with acetate has the potential to alleviate vascular calcification, which may be an important target for future treatment of vascular calcification.
Insights
Antibiotics worsen vascular calcification by disrupting gut bacteria and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Acetate supplementation may alleviate this condition, offering a potential therapeutic target for vascular calcification.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Microbiome Science
- Metabolic Studies
Background:
- Vascular calcification is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular events.
- Antibiotics can alter the gut microbiota (GM), but their impact on vascular calcification is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of antibiotic-induced GM disruption on vascular calcification.
- To explore the potential of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), specifically acetate, in mitigating vascular calcification.
Main Methods:
- Antibiotic cocktail (ABX) and vancomycin treatments were administered to mice to induce GM disruption.
- 16S rRNA gene sequencing and targeted metabolomics were used to analyze GM composition and serum SCFA levels.
- Proteomics was employed to elucidate the mechanism of acetate's action on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).
Main Results:
- Antibiotic treatments exacerbated vascular calcification, correlating with reduced Bacteroidetes abundance and lower serum SCFA levels.
- Acetate supplementation reduced aortic calcium deposition and inhibited VSMC osteogenic transformation.
- Acetate's inhibitory effect on VSMCs involves glutathione metabolism, as evidenced by BSO intervention.
Conclusions:
- Antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis, characterized by reduced Bacteroidetes and SCFAs, exacerbates vascular calcification.
- Acetate emerges as a potential therapeutic agent for vascular calcification, targeting VSMC osteogenic transformation.
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