title: Gut Bacteria and Hydrogen Sulfide: The New Old Players in Circulatory System Homeostasis.
abstract: Accumulating evidence suggests that gut bacteria play a role in homeostasis of the circulatory system in mammals. First, gut bacteria may affect the nervous control of the circulatory system via the sensory fibres of the enteric nervous system. Second, gut bacteria-derived metabolites may cross the gut-blood barrier and target blood vessels, the heart and other organs involved in the regulation of the circulatory system. A number of studies have shown that hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is an important biological mediator in the circulatory system. Thus far, research has focused on the effects of H₂S enzymatically produced by cardiovascular tissues. However, some recent evidence indicates that H₂S released in the colon may also contribute to the control of arterial blood pressure. Incidentally, sulfate-reducing bacteria are ubiquitous in mammalian colon, and H₂S is just one among a number of molecules produced by the gut flora. Other gut bacteria-derived compounds that may affect the circulatory system include methane, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, trimethylamine or indole. In this paper, we review studies that imply a role of gut microbiota and their metabolites, such as H₂S, in circulatory system homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Physiology and Pathophysiology, Laboratory of Centre for Preclinical Research, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02 091, Poland. lennytomasova@gmail.com.|Institute of Clinical and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava 845 05, Slovakia. lennytomasova@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tomasova
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Physiology and Pathophysiology, Laboratory of Centre for Preclinical Research, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02 091, Poland. piotr.konopelski@wp.pl.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Konopelski
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Physiology and Pathophysiology, Laboratory of Centre for Preclinical Research, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02 091, Poland. mufnal@wum.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ufnal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D000069196:Gastrointestinal Microbiome; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006706:Homeostasis; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000378:metabolism*; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide
keywords: TMAO; cardiovascular diseases; gut bacteria; hydrogen sulfide; hypertension; indole; microbiota; sulfur