Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles Mediate Microbiota-Host Communication to Regulate Blood Pressure in Male Rats

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Cardiovascular Science
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Altered gut microbiota is linked to hypertension.
• Bacterial products entering circulation may affect blood pressure.
• Bacterial extracellular vesicles (bEVs) were identified in hypertensive rat circulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if bEVs mediate microbiota-host communication in blood pressure regulation.
• To determine if bEVs from hypertensive rats carry cargo that promotes hypertension.
• To explore the role of bEVs in different hypertension models.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and multiomics analysis of bEVs from hypertensive (SHRSP) and normotensive (WKY) rats.
• Oral transplantation of bEVs to assess effects on blood pressure and sympathetic activity.
• Evaluation of bEVs in Dahl S and obstructive sleep apnea hypertension models.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in small RNA, protein, and PAMP cargo between WKY and SHRSP bEVs.
• Transplantation of SHRSP bEVs increased renal sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure in WKY rats.
• bEVs were shown to influence blood pressure regulation in multiple hypertension models.

Conclusions:

• bEVs are critical mediators of microbiota-host communication in blood pressure regulation.
• bEVs from altered gut microbiota in hypertensive rats promote hypertension.
• bEVs offer new perspectives for hypertension diagnostics and therapeutics.