Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Hypertension. 2020 Aug 12;76(3):651–661. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.15595

Figure 6: Hypothetical representation of dysfunctional gut-brain-lung axis in pulmonary hypertension.

Figure 6:

PH risk factors stimulate autonomic brain regions, initiating activation of microglia and neuroinflammation, altering neuron-microglia communication, and increased sympathetic nervous system activity. This sets up a sequence of events involving the gut, lung and bone marrow perpetuating the pathophysiological hallmarks of PH. ACE2 is proposed to act on the brain, gut, and lungs to interrupt this perpetual cycle and restore function to the axis.