Cheng Shuai, Hao Xinyu, Wang Lei, Jiang Bo, Xin Shijie
Department of Vascular and Thyroid Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention, and Therapeutics of Aortic Aneurysm in Liaoning Province, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
Mol Cell Biochem. 2025 Jun 17. doi: 10.1007/s11010-025-05314-y.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a high-risk vascular condition with a significant need for effective treatments to slow its progression, particularly for small-diameter AAAs. While previous studies have demonstrated curcumin's beneficial effects in AAA mouse models, the role of gut microbiota homeostasis and metabolic changes in this context remains poorly understood. We developed a recently established AAA mouse model and assessed alterations in the gut microbiota. We also examined the effect of curcumin on AAA progression. Fecal samples from different groups of mice were collected and analyzed using 16 s rRNA sequencing to explore the role of gut microbiota in curcumin's therapeutic actions, while serum samples were analyzed by LC-MS/MS to investigate metabolic changes associated with curcumin's therapeutic effects. In a mouse AAA model induced by elastase periadventitial incubation combined with β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN), we observed reduced gut microbiota diversity and a decrease in several probiotic genera. Curcumin treatment inhibited AAA progression, reduced pathological aortic changes and downregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, curcumin prevented the phenotypic shift of vascular smooth muscle cells from a contractile to a synthetic state. Notably, curcumin improved gut microbiota diversity, increased probiotic genera abundance. Finally, curcumin modulated the serum metabolic profile, alleviating AAA-related metabolic changes. Curcumin enhances gut microbiota homeostasis, modulates metabolic changes, and inhibits AAA progression, offering new insights into its therapeutic potential for AAA management.
腹主动脉瘤（AAA）是一种高危血管疾病，迫切需要有效的治疗方法来减缓其进展，尤其是对于小直径腹主动脉瘤。虽然先前的研究已经证明姜黄素在腹主动脉瘤小鼠模型中具有有益作用，但在这种情况下肠道微生物群稳态和代谢变化的作用仍知之甚少。我们建立了一种最近建立的腹主动脉瘤小鼠模型，并评估了肠道微生物群的变化。我们还研究了姜黄素对腹主动脉瘤进展的影响。收集不同组小鼠的粪便样本，使用16s rRNA测序进行分析，以探讨肠道微生物群在姜黄素治疗作用中的作用，同时通过液相色谱-串联质谱法（LC-MS/MS）分析血清样本，以研究与姜黄素治疗效果相关的代谢变化。在通过弹性蛋白酶外膜周围孵育联合β-氨基丙腈（BAPN）诱导的小鼠腹主动脉瘤模型中，我们观察到肠道微生物群多样性降低以及几种益生菌属减少。姜黄素治疗抑制了腹主动脉瘤的进展，减少了主动脉的病理变化，并下调了促炎细胞因子的表达。此外，姜黄素阻止了血管平滑肌细胞从收缩状态向合成状态的表型转变。值得注意的是，姜黄素改善了肠道微生物群多样性，增加了益生菌属的丰度。最后，姜黄素调节了血清代谢谱，减轻了与腹主动脉瘤相关的代谢变化。姜黄素增强肠道微生物群稳态，调节代谢变化，并抑制腹主动脉瘤进展，为其在腹主动脉瘤治疗中的潜在应用提供了新的见解。
