Obesity is a risk factor for asthma, but obese asthmatics respond poorly to standard asthma drugs. Obesity also alters gut bacterial community structure. Obesity-related changes in gut bacteria contribute to weight gain and to other obesity-related conditions including insulin resistance and systemic inflammation. Here we review the rationale for the hypothesis that obesity-related changes in gut bacteria may also play a role in obesity-related asthma. The metabolomes of the liver, serum, urine, and adipose tissue are altered in obesity.
Gut bacteria produce a large number of metabolites which can reach the blood and circulate to other organs, and gut bacterial derived metabolites have been shown to contribute to disease processes outside the gastrointestinal tract, including cardiovascular disease. Here we describe the potential roles for two such classes of metabolites in obesity-related asthma: short chain fatty acids and bile acids. Greater understanding of the role of microbiota in obesity-related asthma could lead to novel microbiota based treatments for these hard to treat patients.
