Sharma, Ravindra K; Yang, Tao; Oliveira, Aline C; Lobaton, Gilberto O; Aquino, Victor; Kim, Seungbum; Richards, Elaine M; Pepine, Carl J; Sumners, Colin; Raizada, Mohan K
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<p>Increased microglial activation and neuroinflammation within autonomic brain regions have been implicated in sustained hypertension, and their inhibition by minocycline-an anti-inflammatory antibiotic-produces beneficial effects. These observations led us to propose a dysfunctional brain-gut communication hypothesis for hypertension. However, it has been difficult to reconcile whether an anti-inflammatory or antimicrobial action is the primary beneficial effect of minocycline in hypertension. Accordingly, we utilized chemically modified tetracycline-3 (CMT-3)-a derivative of tetracycline that has potent anti-inflammatory activity-to address this question.</p>