1. Harnessing intestinal tryptophan catabolism to relieve atherosclerosis in mice
- Author
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Mouna Chajadine, Ludivine Laurans, Tobias Radecke, Nirmala Mouttoulingam, Rida Al-Rifai, Emilie Bacquer, Clara Delaroque, Héloïse Rytter, Marius Bredon, Camille Knosp, José Vilar, Coralie Fontaine, Nadine Suffee, Marie Vandestienne, Bruno Esposito, Julien Dairou, Jean Marie Launay, Jacques Callebert, Alain Tedgui, Hafid Ait-Oufella, Harry Sokol, Benoit Chassaing, and Soraya Taleb
- Subjects
Science - Abstract
Abstract Tryptophan (Trp) is an essential amino acid, whose metabolism is a key gatekeeper of intestinal homeostasis. Yet, its systemic effects, particularly on atherosclerosis, remain unknown. Here we show that high-fat diet (HFD) increases the activity of intestinal indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO), which shifts Trp metabolism from the production of microbiota-derived indole metabolites towards kynurenine production. Under HFD, the specific deletion of IDO in intestinal epithelial cells leads to intestinal inflammation, impaired intestinal barrier, augmented lesional T lymphocytes and atherosclerosis. This is associated with an increase in serotonin production and a decrease in indole metabolites, thus hijacking Trp for the serotonin pathway. Inhibition of intestinal serotonin production or supplementation with indole derivatives alleviates plaque inflammation and atherosclerosis. In summary, we uncover a pivotal role of intestinal IDO in the fine-tuning of Trp metabolism with systemic effects on atherosclerosis, paving the way for new therapeutic strategies to relieve gut-associated inflammatory diseases.
- Published
- 2024
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