Hypoxia induces senescence of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells via altered gut microbiota

Systemic chronic hypoxia is a feature of many diseases and may influence the communication between bone marrow (BM) and gut microbiota. Here we analyse patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) who are experiencing chronic hypoxia and characterize the association between bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and gut microbiome under systemic hypoxia. We observe premature senescence of BMSCs and abnormal d-galactose accumulation in patients with CCHD. The hypoxia that these patients experience results in an altered diversity of gut microbial communities, with a remarkable decrease in the number of Lactobacilli and a noticeable reduction in the amount of enzyme-degraded d-galactose. Replenishing chronic hypoxic rats with Lactobacillus reduced the accumulation of d-galactose and restored the deficient BMSCs. Together, our findings show that chronic hypoxia predisposes BMSCs to premature senescence, which may be due to gut dysbiosis and thus induced d-galactose accumulation.