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Listening to Our Gut: Contribution of Gut Microbiota and Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes Pathogenesis

  • Pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes and Insulin Resistance (RM Watanabe, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

What we understand about diabetes from decades of genetics research is now being supplemented with exciting new evidence based on a better understanding of how one of the biggest “environmental” factors the body is exposed to is influencing the pathogenesis of disease. The recent discovery that certain dietary nutrients possessing a trimethylamine (TMA) moiety (namely choline/phosphatidylcholine and L-carnitine) participate in the development of atherosclerotic heart disease has renewed attention towards the contributions of gut microbiota in the development of cardiovascular diseases. Collectively, animal and human studies reveal that conversion of these nutrient precursors to trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) depends on both microbial composition and host factors, and can be induced by dietary exposures. In addition, circulating TMAO levels are strongly linked to cardiovascular disease risks and various adverse cardio-renal consequences. Our group and others have further demonstrated that circulating TMAO levels are elevated in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus compared to healthy controls and gut microbiota-dependent phosphatidylcholine metabolism has been implicated in metabolic dysregulation and insulin resistance in animal models. Therefore, preventive strategies to minimize adverse consequences associated with TMAO generation in the diabetic population are warranted.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Office of Dietary Supplements (R01HL103931, P20HL113452).

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Conflict of Interest

Daniel Li, Jennifer Kirsop, and W. H. Wilson Tang declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Daniel Li, Jennifer Kirsop & W. H. Wilson Tang

  2. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Desk J3-4, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA

    W. H. Wilson Tang

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  1. Daniel Li
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  2. Jennifer Kirsop
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Correspondence to W. H. Wilson Tang.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes and Insulin Resistance

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Li, D., Kirsop, J. & Tang, W.H.W. Listening to Our Gut: Contribution of Gut Microbiota and Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes Pathogenesis. Curr Diab Rep 15, 63 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-015-0634-1

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