Research presented at ASM Microbe 2026 reported that removing a bile acid receptor called FXR reduced artery plaque in mice exposed to sleep apnea-like conditions, pointing to a potential gut-driven pathway behind cardiovascular risk.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a common disorder marked by repeated pauses in breathing during sleep, which can lower oxygen and raise carbon dioxide levels in the body. Researchers have been investigating why the condition is linked to higher cardiovascular risk. New findings presented at ASM Microbe 2026 suggest part of that connection may run through the gut. According to a meeting report distributed by the American Society for Microbiology, scientists studied mice genetically prone to atherosclerosis and compared standard ApoE knock-out animals with mice engineered to lack both ApoE and the bile acid receptor known as the farnesoid X receptor (FXR). During the experiment, the animals were exposed either to room air or to conditions designed to mimic sleep apnea, while the team tracked changes in fecal microbes and metabolites and later measured plaque in the arteries. The report said mice lacking FXR developed significantly less plaque in the aorta and aortic arch under sleep apnea-like conditions, while plaque was still observed in the pulmonary artery. It also said sleep apnea-like exposure had a smaller impact on the gut microbiome and metabolome when FXR was absent. >
