Departments of Internal and Experimental Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2022;270:311-334. doi: 10.1007/164_2020_356.
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a prime example of a systems disease. In the initial phase, apolipoprotein B-containing cholesterol-rich lipoproteins deposit excess cholesterol in macrophage-like cells that subsequently develop into foam cells. A multitude of systemic as well as environmental factors are involved in further progression of atherosclerotic plaque formation. In recent years, both oral and gut microbiota have been proposed to play an important role in the process at different stages. Particularly bacteria from the oral cavity may easily reach the circulation and cause low-grade inflammation, a recognized risk factor for ASCVD. Gut-derived microbiota on the other hand can influence host metabolism on various levels. Next to translocation across the intestinal wall, these prokaryotes produce a great number of specific metabolites such as trimethylamine and short-chain fatty acids but can also metabolize endogenously formed bile acids and convert these into metabolites that may influence signal transduction pathways. In this overview, we critically discuss the novel developments in this rapidly emerging research field.
动脉粥样硬化性心血管疾病（ASCVD）是系统疾病的一个主要例子。在初始阶段，载脂蛋白 B 含有的富含胆固醇的脂蛋白会将多余的胆固醇沉积在类似于巨噬细胞的细胞中，这些细胞随后会发展成泡沫细胞。多种系统性和环境因素都参与了动脉粥样硬化斑块形成的进一步进展。近年来，口腔和肠道微生物群都被认为在不同阶段的过程中发挥着重要作用。特别是口腔中的细菌可能很容易进入循环系统并引起低度炎症，这是 ASCVD 的一个公认的危险因素。另一方面，肠道来源的微生物群可以在多个层面上影响宿主的新陈代谢。除了穿过肠壁的易位外，这些原核生物还产生了大量的特定代谢物，如三甲胺和短链脂肪酸，但也可以代谢内源性形成的胆汁酸，并将其转化为可能影响信号转导途径的代谢物。在这篇综述中，我们批判性地讨论了这一快速发展的研究领域的新进展。
