Immunoregulatory Effect of Short-Chain Fatty Acids from Gut Microbiota on Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Associated Hypertension

The intestine is the largest bacterial ecosystem and immune response organ of the human body. The microbiota regulates the metabolic and immune functions of the host through their metabolites. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are part of the metabolites of the gut microbiota (GM), providing energy to intestinal epithelial cells and regulating the immune system. A decrease in SCFA-producing bacteria, imbalanced effector T-helper cells (Th cells), and increasing corresponding inflammatory cytokine were found in both animal models and clinical patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and hypertension (HTN). Intervention with probiotics, prebiotics, or postbiotics in animal models simulating OSA-associated HTN restored blood pressure to normal, which allows the hypothesis that GM are involved in the pathophysiology of OSA-induced HTN patients through their metabolites’ SCFAs; however, the exact regulatory mechanism is not completely clear. This review describes the potential mechanisms of SCFAs, a major metabolite of the GM, in the pathology of OSA-induced HTN, from the perspective of immune system regulation in the available studies.