Gut microbiota metabolic reprogramming drives the development of metabolic diseases in the host

Metabolic diseases pose a major global health challenge, the pathogenesis of which centers on "metabolic reprogramming"; that is, the adaptive or pathological rewiring of metabolic pathways. Emerging evidence indicates that gut microbiota dysbiosis triggers its metabolic reprogramming prior to host disease onset and plays a pivotal role in the development of metabolic disorders. However, unlike host metabolic reprogramming, which has been well characterized, the pathogenic mechanisms resulting from gut microbiota metabolic reprogramming remain poorly understood, creating a critical knowledge gap regarding its role in systemic metabolic diseases. To address this gap, this review introduces the concept of gut microbiota metabolic reprogramming and establishes its foundational role in systemic metabolic disease. We propose that gut microbiota metabolic reprogramming constitutes an early pathogenic event, preceding and potentially driving subsequent metabolic alterations in the host. Within this framework, we systematically reveal that an imbalance in the gut microbiota leads to its significant metabolic reprogramming, including lipid, glucose, amino acid, and uric acid metabolism, which in turn regulates host-wide metabolic and immune homeostasis and contributes to the development of metabolic diseases. By integrating these mechanisms into a coherent model, our work provides a novel paradigm for understanding metabolic regulation. This model refines the fundamental pathophysiology of metabolic disorders and highlights new possibilities for targeting the microbiome for the prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders.