Intestinal Serotonergic Vagal Signaling as a Mediator of Microbiota-Induced Hypertension
Authors' conclusion
Here, we describe a neural host-microbiota interaction that is mediated by intestinal serotonin (5-HT) signaling via the vagal 5HT3a, which is crucial for maintenance of blood pressure homeostasis.
Study context
- Population
- Normotensive and hypertensive rats; colonic biopsies from normotensive and hypertensive human subjects (36 to 75 years of age)N=5 per group (human biopsies)
- Participants
- 5 vs 5
- Comparison
- Hypertensive vs normotensive (rats and humans); fecal microbiota transplantation from hypertensive vs normotensive rats
- Hypertensiven = 5
- Normotensiven = 5reference
- Outcome
- Intestinal 5-HT and vagal 5HT3a receptor signaling, and blood pressure
Methodological detailsrat model, human colonic biopsies
- Rat model
- Human colonic biopsies
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Intestinal 5-HT and vagal 5HT3a receptor signaling, and effect of vagal 5-HT signaling on blood pressure
- Marked decrease in intestinal 5-HT and vagal 5HT3a receptor signaling in hypertensive rats and humans, and in rats after fecal microbiota transplantation from hypertensive rats
- Intestinal 5HT3a receptor vagal signaling is a crucial link between gut microbiota and blood pressure homeostasis
- Recovery of 5-HT signaling in colon innervating vagal neurons can alleviate hypertension
- Intersectional genetic strategy in a 5HT3a receptor Cre rat line to activate, ablate, and restore serotonin-sensing colonic vagal neurons
- In vivo calcium imaging and radiotelemetric blood pressure recordings
Original publication
Intestinal Serotonergic Vagal Signaling as a Mediator of Microbiota-Induced Hypertension. Circulation. Published 15 September 2026. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it