Bile Acid-Activated Receptors, Intestinal Microbiota, and the Treatment of Metabolic Disorders

The composition of the bile acid pool is a function of the microbial metabolism of bile acids in the intestine. Perturbations of the microbiota shape the bile acid pool and modulate the activity of bile acid-activated receptors (BARs) even beyond the gastrointestinal tract, triggering various metabolic axes and altering host metabolism. Bile acids, in turn, can also regulate the composition of the gut microbiome at the highest taxonomic levels. Primary bile acids from the host are preferential ligands for the farnesoid X receptor (FXR), while secondary bile acids from the microbiota are ligands for G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 (GPBAR1). In this review, we examine the role of bile acid signaling in the regulation of intestinal microbiota and how changes in bile acid composition affect human metabolism. Bile acids may offer novel therapeutic modalities in inflammation, obesity, and diabetes.