Robles-Vera, Iñakide la Visitación, NéstorSánchez, ManuelGómez-Guzmán, ManuelJiménez, RosarioMoleón, JavierGonzález-Correa, CristinaRomero, MiguelYang, TaoRaizada, Mohan KToral, MartaDuarte, Juan2021-05-072021-05-072020-11-28Antioxidants (Basel). 2020; 9(12):e11992076-3921http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12105/12897Microbiota is involved in the host blood pressure (BP) regulation. The immunosuppressive drug mofetil mycophenolate (MMF) ameliorates hypertension. The present study analyzed whether MMF improves dysbiosis in mineralocorticoid-induced hypertension. Male Wistar rats were assigned to three groups: untreated (CTR), deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt, and DOCA treated with MMF for 4 weeks. MMF treatment reduced systolic BP, improved endothelial dysfunction, and reduced oxidative stress and inflammation in aorta. A clear separation in the gut bacterial community between CTR and DOCA groups was found, whereas the cluster belonging to DOCA-MMF group was found to be intermixed. No changes were found at the phylum level among all experimental groups. MMF restored the elevation in lactate-producing bacteria found in DOCA-salt joined to an increase in the acetate-producing bacteria. MMF restored the percentage of anaerobic bacteria in the DOCA-salt group to values similar to control rats. The improvement of gut dysbiosis was associated with an enhanced colonic integrity and a decreased sympathetic drive in the gut. MMF inhibited neuroinflammation in the paraventricular nuclei in the hypothalamus. This study demonstrates for the first time that MMF reduces gut dysbiosis in DOCA-salt hypertension models. This effect seems to be related to its capacity to improve gut integrity due to reduced sympathetic drive in the gut associated with reduced brain neuroinflammation.engVoRhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Atribución 4.0 Internacional3326059391210.3390/antiox9121199Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)open access