Kim Si Hyoung, Yoon Mi Young, Yoon Sang Sun
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Institute for Immunology and Immunological Diseases, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Ann Med. 2025 Dec;57(1):2522324. doi: 10.1080/07853890.2025.2522324. Epub 2025 Jun 23.
Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is a metabolite produced by the gut microbiome from dietary nutrients such as choline and carnitine. Recent research has found that TMAO is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD) and, more recently, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although TMAO is linked to conditions characterized by inflammation, oxidative stress, fibrosis and gut microbiome imbalances, its exact role in disease development remains unclear. This review examines TMAO's potential role as a key link in the IBD-CKD-CVD disease spectrum. Highlighting the importance of limiting TMAO production, we propose several promising strategies to achieve its reduction. Specifically, we focus on microbiome therapies as innovative methods for managing TMAO levels. This approach offers a hopeful avenue for addressing the complex interplay between gut health and systemic chronic human diseases.
氧化三甲胺（TMAO）是肠道微生物群利用胆碱和肉碱等膳食营养物质产生的一种代谢产物。最近的研究发现，TMAO与心血管疾病（CVD）、慢性肾脏病（CKD）密切相关，最近还发现与炎症性肠病（IBD）有关。尽管TMAO与以炎症、氧化应激、纤维化和肠道微生物群失衡为特征的疾病有关，但其在疾病发展中的确切作用仍不清楚。本综述探讨了TMAO作为IBD-CKD-CVD疾病谱关键环节的潜在作用。强调了限制TMAO产生的重要性，我们提出了几种有望降低TMAO的策略。具体而言，我们将重点关注微生物群疗法，将其作为管理TMAO水平的创新方法。这种方法为解决肠道健康与全身性慢性人类疾病之间的复杂相互作用提供了一条充满希望的途径。
