Simulated spaceflight-induced cardiac remodeling is modulated by gut microbial-derived trimethylamine N-oxide

Zizhong Liu; Gui Luo; Ruikai Du; Guanghan Kan; Xuan Han; Guohui Zhong; Wenjuan Xing; Ying Cui; Weijia Sun; Jianwei Li; Yuheng Li; Dingsheng Zhao; Xinxin Yuan; Xiaoyan Jin; Yanping Han; Huiyuan Sun; Shukuan Ling; Yingxian Li

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.108556

Simulated spaceflight-induced cardiac remodeling is modulated by gut microbial-derived trimethylamine N-oxide

iScience. 2023 Nov 22;26(12):108556. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108556. eCollection 2023 Dec 15.

Authors

Zizhong Liu¹, Gui Luo², Ruikai Du¹, Guanghan Kan¹, Xuan Han¹, Guohui Zhong¹, Wenjuan Xing³, Ying Cui⁴, Weijia Sun¹, Jianwei Li¹, Yuheng Li¹, Dingsheng Zhao¹, Xinxin Yuan¹, Xiaoyan Jin¹, Yanping Han⁵, Huiyuan Sun⁶, Shukuan Ling⁷, Yingxian Li¹

Affiliations

¹ National Key Laboratory of Space Medicine, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, China.
² Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
³ School of Aerospace Medicine, Key Laboratory of Aerospace Medicine of the Ministry of Education, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
⁴ School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China.
⁶ Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Third Affiliated Hospital, Beijing, China.
⁷ Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.

Abstract

Spaceflight is physically demanding and can negatively affect astronauts' health. It has been shown that the human gut microbiota and cardiac function are affected by spaceflight and simulated spaceflight. This study investigated the effects of the gut microbiota on simulated spaceflight-induced cardiac remodeling using 10° of head-down bed rest (HDBR) in rhesus macaques and 30° of hindlimb unloading (HU) in mice. The gut microbiota, fecal metabolites, and cardiac remodeling were markedly affected by HDBR in macaques and HU in mice, cardiac remodeling in control mice was affected by the gut microbiota of HU mice and that of HU mice was protected by the gut microbiota of control mice, and there was a correlation between cardiac remodeling and the gut microbial-derived metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide. These findings suggest that spaceflight can affect cardiac remodeling by modulating the gut microbiota and fecal metabolites.

Keywords: Cell biology; Metabolomics; Microbial genetics; Microbial metabolism; Microgravity sciences; Model organism.