Gut Microbes Are Associated with the Vascular Beneficial Effects of Dietary Strawberry on Metabolic Syndrome‐Induced Vascular Inflammation

• Published in: Molecular nutrition & food research Vol. 66; no. 22; pp. e2200112 - n/a
• Main Authors: Miller, James Coleman, Satheesh Babu, Adhini Kuppuswamy, Petersen, Chrissa, Wankhade, Umesh D., Robeson, Michael S., Putich, Madison Nicole, Mueller, Jennifer Ellen, O'Farrell, Aubrey Sarah, Cho, Jae Min, Chintapalli, Sree V., Jalili, Thunder, Symons, John David, Anandh Babu, Pon Velayutham
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-11-2022
• Subjects: Abundance; Animal models; Animals; anthocyanins; Blood pressure; Cardiovascular diseases; Chemokines; Complications; Diet; Diet, High-Fat - adverse effects; Fragaria - chemistry; Fruits; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Gene expression; gut microbiome; Health risks; High fat diet; Inflammation; Male; Metabolic disorders; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic Syndrome - drug therapy; Metabolic Syndrome - etiology; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Microorganisms; Monocytes; strawberry; Subgroups; vascular inflammation; metabolic syndrome; strawberry; vascular inflammation; gut microbiome; anthocyanins
• ISSN: 1613-4125; 1613-4133
• DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.202200112

Scope
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) alters the gut microbial ecology and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. This study investigates whether strawberry consumption reduces vascular complications in an animal model of MetS and identifies whether this effect is associated with changes in the composition of gut microbes.
Methods and results
Seven‐week‐old male mice consume diets with 10% (C) or 60% kcal from fat (high‐fat diet fed mice; HF) for 12 weeks and subgroups are fed a 2.35% freeze‐dried strawberry supplemented diet (C+SB or HF+SB). This nutritional dose is equivalent to ≈160 g of strawberry. After 12 weeks treatment, vascular inflammation is enhanced in HF versus C mice as shown by an increased monocyte binding to vasculature, elevated serum chemokines, and increased mRNA expression of inflammatory molecules. However, strawberry supplementation suppresses vascular inflammation in HF+SB versus HF mice. Metabolic variables, blood pressure, and indices of vascular function were similar among the groups. Further, the abundance of opportunistic microbe is decreased in HF+SB. Importantly, circulating chemokines are positively associated with opportunistic microbes and negatively associated with the commensal microbes (Bifidobacterium and Facalibaculum).
Conclusion
Dietary strawberry decreases the abundance of opportunistic microbe and this is associated with a decrease in vascular inflammation resulting from MetS.
Dietary supplementation of strawberry reduces vascular inflammation and alters the composition of gut microbiota in metabolic syndrome (MetS). Importantly, strawberry supplementation decreases the abundance of opportunistic microbe Oscillibacter, and the circulating inflammatory chemokines are negatively associated with the beneficial microbe Bifidobacterium. Strawberries might complement existing therapies to improve gut microbiota and thereby reduce vascular complications associated with MetS.