Gut microbes modulate the effects of the flavonoid quercetin on atherosclerosis

• Published in: NPJ biofilms and microbiomes 2025-01, Vol.11 (1), p.12-10, Article 12
• Main Authors: Kasahara, Kazuyuki, Kerby, Robert L., Aquino-Martinez, Ruben, Evered, Abigail H., Cross, Tzu-Wen L., Everhart, Jessica, Ulland, Tyler K., Kay, Colin D., Bolling, Bradley W., Bäckhed, Fredrik, Rey, Federico E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/326/2565/2134; 692/698/2741/2135; Animal models; Animals; Apolipoprotein E; Apolipoproteins E - deficiency; Apolipoproteins E - genetics; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis - drug therapy; Atherosclerosis - microbiology; Atherosclerosis - prevention & control; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - drug effects; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Biofilms; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Discriminant analysis; Disease Models, Animal; Electrical resistivity; Flavonoids; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - drug effects; Germfree; Hydroxybenzoates - pharmacology; Intestinal microflora; Life Sciences; Lipopolysaccharides; Male; Medical Biotechnology (Focus on Cell Biology (incl. Stem Cell Biology), Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry or Biopharmacy); Medical Microbiology; Medicinsk bioteknologi (Inriktn. mot cellbiologi (inkl. stamcellsbiologi), molekylärbiologi, mikrobiologi, biokemi eller biofarmaci); Metabolism; Metabolites; Metabolomics; Metabolomics - methods; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Mice, Knockout, ApoE; Microbial Ecology; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Phenolic acids; Plasma; Plasma levels; Quercetin; Quercetin - pharmacology; Small intestine
• ISSN: 2055-5008; 2055-5008
• DOI: 10.1038/s41522-024-00626-1

Gut bacterial metabolism of dietary flavonoids results in the production of a variety of phenolic acids, whose contributions to health remain poorly understood. Here, we show that supplementation with the commonly consumed flavonoid quercetin impacted gut microbiome composition and resulted in a significant reduction in atherosclerosis burden in conventionally raised (ConvR) Apolipoprotein E ( ApoE ) knockout (KO) mice but not in germ-free (GF) ApoE KO mice. Metabolomic analysis revealed that consumption of quercetin significantly increased plasma levels of benzoylglutamic acid, 3,4 dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-DHBA) and its sulfate-conjugated form in ConvR mice, but not in GF mice supplemented with the flavonoid. Levels of these metabolites were negatively associated with atherosclerosis burden. Furthermore, we show that 3,4-DHBA prevented lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced decrease in transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER). These results suggest that the effects of quercetin on atherosclerosis are influenced by gut microbes and are potentially mediated by bacterial metabolites derived from the flavonoid.