Evidence mapPaperPMID 40943409Full record

ReviewInternational journal of molecular sciences2025

Gut Microbiota-Derived Metabolites in Atherosclerosis: Pathways, Biomarkers, and Targets.

Alexandra-Kristine Tonch-Cerbu, Adrian-Gheorghe Boicean, Oana-Maria Stoia, Minodora Teodoru

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in International journal of molecular sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed.

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  11. Frontiers in microbiology · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Alexandra-Kristine Tonch-CerbuMedical Clinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, "Lucian Blaga" University, 550024 Sibiu, Romania.ORCID 0009-0000-6090-8334
Adrian-Gheorghe BoiceanMedical Clinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, "Lucian Blaga" University, 550024 Sibiu, Romania.ORCID 0000-0002-6646-1585
Oana-Maria StoiaMedical Clinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, "Lucian Blaga" University, 550024 Sibiu, Romania.ORCID 0009-0002-1846-8501
Minodora TeodoruMedical Clinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, "Lucian Blaga" University, 550024 Sibiu, Romania.ORCID 0009-0008-1121-3788

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The human gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem that influences host metabolism, immune function, and cardiovascular health. Dysbiosis, defined as an imbalance in microbial composition or function, has been linked to the development and progression of atherosclerosis. This connection is mediated by microbial metabolites that enter the systemic circulation and interact with vascular and immune pathways. Among these, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) has been most extensively studied and is consistently associated with cardiovascular events. Other metabolites, including lipopolysaccharides (LPS), short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and secondary bile acids, also contribute by modulating inflammation, endothelial function, and lipid metabolism. Recent research has expanded to emerging metabolites such as indoxyl sulfate, indole-3-propionic acid, and polyamines, which may provide additional mechanistic insights. These microbial products are increasingly explored as biomarkers of cardiovascular risk. TMAO has shown predictive value in large human cohorts, while microbiota composition and diversity measures remain less consistent across studies. However, interpretation of these biomarkers is limited by methodological variability, interindividual differences, and lack of standardization. Therapeutic interventions targeting the gut-heart axis are under investigation. Dietary strategies such as the Mediterranean diet and fiber-rich nutrition, probiotics and prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) show promise, while pharmacological approaches targeting TMAO or bile acid pathways are in early stages. This review summarizes current knowledge on the mechanistic, diagnostic, and therapeutic links between the gut microbiota and atherosclerosis, highlighting both established findings and emerging directions for future research.

Indexed as

AtherosclerosisBiomarkersGastrointestinal MicrobiomeAnimalsBile Acids and SaltsDysbiosisHumansMethylaminesBile Acids and SaltsBiomarkersMethylaminestrimethyloxamineatherosclerosisbiomarkersdysbiosisgut microbiotametabolitesprebioticsprobioticstherapeutic strategies

Identifiers

PMID40943409
PMCPMC12429262

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.