Eucommia ulmoides bark extract reduces blood pressure and inflammation by regulating the gut microbiota and enriching the Parabacteroides strain in high-salt diet and N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester induced mice

• Published in: Frontiers in microbiology 2022-08, Vol.13, p.967649-967649
• Main Authors: Yan, Dong, Si, Wenhao, Zhou, Xiaoyue, Yang, Mengjie, Chen, Yuanhang, Chang, Yahan, Lu, Yidan, Liu, Jieyu, Wang, Kaiyue, Yan, Moyu, Liu, Feng, Li, Min, Wang, Xianliang, Wu, Minna, Tian, Zhongwei, Sun, Haiyan, Song, Xiangfeng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Eucommia ulmoides; gut microbiota; hypertension; IL-17A; Microbiology; Parabacteroides
• ISSN: 1664-302X; 1664-302X
• DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.967649

Hypertension is a major threat to human health. Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. (EU) is a small tree and EU extract is widely used to improve hypertension in East Asia. However, its major constituents have poor absorption and stay in the gut for a long time. The role of the gut microbiota in the anti-hypertensive effects of EU is unclear. Here, we examined the anti-hypertensive effects of EU in high-salt diet and N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) induced mice. After receiving EU for 6 weeks, the blood pressure was significantly reduced and the kidney injury was improved. Additionally, EU restored the levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as serum interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-17A, and renal IL-17A. The diversity and composition of the gut microbiota were influenced by administration of EU; 40 significantly upregulated and 107 significantly downregulated amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were identified after administration of EU. ASV403 ( Parabacteroides ) was selected as a potential anti-hypertensive ASV. Its closest strain XGB65 was isolated. Furthermore, animal studies confirmed that Parabacteroides strain XGB65 exerted anti-hypertensive effects, possibly by reducing levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as renal IL-17A. Our study is the first to report that EU reduces blood pressure by regulating the gut microbiota, and it enriches the Parabacteroides strain, which exerts anti-hypertensive effects. These findings provide directions for developing novel anti-hypertensive treatments by combining probiotics and prebiotics.