Gut microbiota mediate vascular dysfunction in a murine model of sleep apnea: effect of probiotics

What is it about?

Using a well-established mouse model of sleep apnea consisting of long-term intermittent hypoxia during the rest period (CIH), we show that the cardiovascular deleterious effects of CIH can be recapitulated by transferring the gut microbiome changes induced by CIH to naïve mice. Furthermore, co-administration of probiotics that restore the normal gut microbiome markedly mitigate the cardiovascular consequences of CIH. Thus, probiotics may serve as adjuvant treatment of sleep apnea to dampen or potentially reverse sleep apnea-associated cardiovascular disease.

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