# EXAMINING THE ROLE OF GUT DYSBIOSIS IN OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA INDUCED HYPERTENSION.

> **NIH NIH R01** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2022 · $396,250

## Abstract

Project Summary:
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a significant risk factor for systemic hypertension and other cardiovascular
diseases. While this relationship has been firmly established, an understanding of how OSA leads to
hypertension is poorly understood. Recently, scientists have begun to recognize that neuroinflammation is an
important factor in the development of hypertension, including that hypertension associated with OSA. However,
the underlying source and the steps that illicit neuroinflammation with OSA is unknown. In this proposal, we will
develop the idea that the gut microbiota is responsible for initiating and maintaining neuroinflammation required
for the development of hypertension. In recent years, it has been recognized that a microbiota-gut-brain axis
exists, whereby microorganisms residing in the gut play a critical role in regulating brain homeostasis and
function. We propose the overall hypothesis that OSA promotes neuroinflammation and hypertension
through gut dysbiosis and modification of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. We have found through
preliminary studies that OSA alters the makeup of the gut microbiota, leads to gut barrier disruption and the
introduction of bacteria and endotoxins into the systemic circulation. We have also shown that OSA promotes a
pro-inflammatory phenotype in innate immune cells in both the gut and brain. Additionally, we have linked OSA-
induced dysbiosis to the development of hypertension by demonstrating that the hypertensive phenotype can be
transferred to a normotensive rat by transplantation with a dysbiotic microbiota. Lastly, we provide the foundation
for a therapeutic strategy using oral prebiotics and probiotics, which were able to prevent dysbiosis, reduce gut
inflammation and neuroinflammation, and prevent OSA-induced hypertension. The main goal of this proposal is
to understand how components of the microbiota-gut-brain axis are altered by OSA and contribute to
neuroinflammation and hypertension, with a focus on activated immune cell signaling (Aim 1), altered metabolite
signaling (Aim 2), and methods of preventing OSA-induced hypertension (Aims 1-3). In each aim we will
manipulate the microbiome by diet or next generation probiotics to determine the effects on OSA-induced
hypertension, a disease becoming more common in our overweight and aging population.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10326356
- **Project number:** 5R01HL134838-05
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** David J Durgan
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $396,250
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-01-01 → 2024-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10326356

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10326356, EXAMINING THE ROLE OF GUT DYSBIOSIS IN OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA INDUCED HYPERTENSION. (5R01HL134838-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10326356. Licensed CC0.

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