title: Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) response to animal source foods varies among healthy young men and is influenced by their gut microbiota composition: A randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a metabolite linked to the gut microbiota, is associated with excess risk of heart disease. We hypothesized that (i) TMAO response to animal source foods would vary among healthy men and (ii) this response would be modified by their gut microbiome.
  
  
  
  A crossover feeding trial in healthy young men (n = 40) was conducted with meals containing TMAO (fish), its dietary precursors, choline (eggs) and carnitine (beef), and a fruit control. Fish yielded higher circulating and urinary concentrations of TMAO (46-62 times; p < 0.0001), trimethylamine (8-14 times; p < 0.0001), and dimethylamine (4-6-times; P<0.0001) than eggs, beef, or the fruit control. Circulating TMAO concentrations were increased within 15 min of fish consumption, suggesting that dietary TMAO can be absorbed without processing by gut microbes. Analysis of 16S rRNA genes indicated that high-TMAO producers (≥20% increase in urinary TMAO in response to eggs and beef) had more Firmicutes than Bacteroidetes (p = 0.04) and less gut microbiota diversity (p = 0.03).
  
  
  
  Consumption of fish yielded substantially greater increases in circulating TMAO than eggs or beef. The higher Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes enrichment among men exhibiting a greater response to dietary TMAO precursor intake indicates that TMAO production is a function of individual differences in the gut microbiome.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Clara E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Siraphat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taesuwan
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Olga V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Malysheva
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bender
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Tulchinsky
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sutter
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Marie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Caudill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D005502:Food; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D008744:Methylamines / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008744:Methylamines; C005855:trimethyloxamine
keywords: Dietary precursor intake; Gut microbiota; Human; Metabolism; Trimethylamine-N-oxide