Network analysis of nitrate-sensitive oral microbiome reveals interactions with cognitive function and cardiovascular health across dietary interventions
Vanhatalo, Anni; L’Heureux, Johanna E.; Kelly, James; Blackwell, Jamie; Wylie, Lee; Fulford, Jonathan; Winyard, Paul; Williams, David; van der Giezen, Mark; Jones, Andrew
Peer reviewed, Journal article
Published version
Date
2021Metadata
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Vanhatalo, A., L'Heureux, J. E., Kelly, J., Blackwell, J. R., Wylie, L. J., Fulford, J., ... & Jones, A. M. (2021). Network analysis of nitrate-sensitive oral microbiome reveals interactions with cognitive function and cardiovascular health across dietary interventions. Redox Biology, 41, 101933. 10.1016/j.redox.2021.101933Abstract
Many oral bacteria reduce inorganic nitrate, a natural part of a vegetable-rich diet, into nitrite that acts as a precursor to nitric oxide, a regulator of vascular tone and neurotransmission. Aging is hallmarked by reduced nitric oxide production with associated detriments to cardiovascular and cognitive function. This study applied a systems-level bacterial co-occurrence network analysis across 10-day dietary nitrate and placebo interventions to test the stability of relationships between physiological and cognitive traits and clusters of co-occurring oral bacteria in older people. Relative abundances of Proteobacteria increased, while Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Fusobacteria decreased after nitrate supplementation. Two distinct microbiome modules of co-occurring bacteria, that were sensitive to nitrate supplementation, showed stable relationships with cardiovascular (Rothia-Streptococcus) and cognitive (Neisseria-Haemophilus) indices of health across both dietary conditions. A microbiome module (Prevotella-Veillonella) that has been associated with pro-inflammatory metabolism was diminished after nitrate supplementation, including a decrease in relative abundance of pathogenic Clostridium difficile. These nitrate-sensitive oral microbiome modules are proposed as potential pre- and probiotic targets to ameliorate age-induced impairments in cardiovascular and cognitive health.