Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have found that bacteria in your small intestine are responsible for regulating your cholesterol metabolism. Cholesterol is mainly synthesised in your body, but you also obtain it from dietary sources. Your liver converts it into bile acids, which are then secreted into your intestine, and, after this, your intestine either removes it from your body, or recycles it back to your liver.
More and more research is being done into how your gut bacteria affects your wellness and your risk of certain diseases. This research group in particular, led by Fredrick Bäckhed, are leading experts in this field and is examining how gut bacteria is associated with lifestyle diseases, such as heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
According to Sama Sayin, medical doctor and PhD student at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, and the study’s first author, ‘Drugs that reduce cholesterol levels have, in recent years, greatly reduced deaths from cardiovascular disease. Our study is a step forward because we have shown how gut bacteria regulates the formation of bile acids from cholesterol.
The study showed that your gut bacteria use a protein in the small intestine, known as the FXR receptor, to signal your liver to reduce bile acid synthesis. Not only does the FXR receptor affect your cholesterol metabolism, but the researchers also found that it is involved in your sugar and fat metabolism too.
The results of this study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, mean that scientists may now be able to develop better drugs to treat diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease. Study leader Fredrik Bäckhed, professor at the Sahlgrenska Academy, explained, ‘If future research can identify the specific bacteria that affect FXR signalling in the gut, this could lead to new ways to treat diabetes and cardiovascular disease.’