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Research Paper|Volume 17, Issue 7|pp 1852—1867

Young microbiome transplantation enhances recovery after myocardial infarction

Min-Yi You1, Tony W.H. Tang1, Suminani Novita1, Yen-Wen Liu2, Kuan-Cheng Chang3,4, Yen-Wen Wu5, Yu-Kai Chao1, Shu-Chian Ruan1, Po-Ju Lin1, Hung-Chih Chen1, Patrick C.H. Hsieh1,6,7
  • 1Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
  • 2Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
  • 3Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
  • 4School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
  • 5Cardiovascular Medical Center, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
  • 6Department of Medicine and Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
  • 7Institute of Medical Genomics and Proteomics and Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
* Equal contribution
Received: September 10, 2024Accepted: June 30, 2025Published: July 15, 2025
https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206279

Copyright: © 2025 You et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Abstract

Background: The relationship between aging, gut microbiota, and cardiac repair after myocardial infarction (MI) remains unclear. Understanding this interaction may provide novel strategies for improving cardiovascular outcomes in the elderly.

Methods: Aged mice were treated with antibiotics followed by fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from young or aged donors prior to MI. Cardiac function, gut integrity, immune signaling, and metabolism were evaluated. Gut microbiota and plasma metabolites were also profiled in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients across age groups.

Results: Young FMT improved post-MI cardiac function and reduced infarct size in aged mice. It preserved intestinal barrier integrity, reduced IL-17A–positive immune cells, and attenuated age-related intestinal shortening. Aging was associated with decreased microbial diversity, loss of beneficial taxa such as Akkermansia, and enrichment of inflammatory pathways. Cardiac metabolomics revealed reduced oxidative metabolism and increased lipid reliance in aged mice. In STEMI patients, aging correlated with lower microbiota diversity, altered taxonomic profiles, and shifts in lipid and amino acid metabolism.

Conclusions: This study highlights the role of gut microbiota in cardiovascular health and aging. Microbiota transplantation improved cardiac recovery, suggesting its therapeutic potential and offering new insights into the gut–heart axis for future treatments in age-related cardiovascular disease.