Figure 2.

Gut microbiome-host interactions through metabolites. Alterations of the gut microbiome can impact development of cardiometabolic phenotypes through biological effects in coronary and peripheral vessels, liver, adipose, and pancreas. These effects can be mediated SD through intermediates generated by gut bacteria from nutrients, such as amino acids (IPA, PAA, IMP), quaternary amines (TMA, gamma-butyrobetaine), and non-digestible carbohydrates (acetate, butyrate, propionate) or host-derived compounds (i.e., GUDCA) that are metabolized by microbes (i.e., UDCA). In some cases, the intermediates (e.g., TMA or PAA) are absorbed and further metabolized by the host to produce bioactive metabolites, such as TMAO or PAG.