Potential Beneficial Effects of Butyrate in Intestinal and Extraintestinal Diseases

Overview

Journal World J Gastroenterol

Publisher Baishideng Publishing Group

Specialty Gastroenterology

Date 2011 Apr 8

PMID 21472114

Citations 535

Authors

Roberto Berni Canani

Margherita Di Costanzo

Ludovica Leone

Monica Pedata

Rosaria Meli

Antonio Calignano

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The multiple beneficial effects on human health of the short-chain fatty acid butyrate, synthesized from non-absorbed carbohydrate by colonic microbiota, are well documented. At the intestinal level, butyrate plays a regulatory role on the transepithelial fluid transport, ameliorates mucosal inflammation and oxidative status, reinforces the epithelial defense barrier, and modulates visceral sensitivity and intestinal motility. In addition, a growing number of studies have stressed the role of butyrate in the prevention and inhibition of colorectal cancer. At the extraintestinal level, butyrate exerts potentially useful effects on many conditions, including hemoglobinopathies, genetic metabolic diseases, hypercholesterolemia, insulin resistance, and ischemic stroke. The mechanisms of action of butyrate are different; many of these are related to its potent regulatory effects on gene expression. These data suggest a wide spectrum of positive effects exerted by butyrate, with a high potential for a therapeutic use in human medicine.

Citing Articles

The Relationship Between Fiber Intake and Gut Bacterial Diversity and Composition During the Third Trimester of Pregnancy.

Schwartz L, Ladouceur J, Russell M, Xie S, Bu S, Kerver J Nutrients. 2025; 17(5).

PMID: 40077643 PMC: 11901921. DOI: 10.3390/nu17050773.

Gut Metagenome Reveals the Microbiome Signatures in Tibetan and Black Pigs.

Bai X, Gu Y, Li D, Li M Animals (Basel). 2025; 15(5).

PMID: 40076036 PMC: 11899681. DOI: 10.3390/ani15050753.

Crosstalk between gut microbiotas and fatty acid metabolism in colorectal cancer.

Zhang H, Tian Y, Xu C, Chen M, Xiang Z, Gu L Cell Death Discov. 2025; 11(1):78.

PMID: 40011436 PMC: 11865559. DOI: 10.1038/s41420-025-02364-5.

Fecal Short-Chain Fatty Acids Are Associated with Obesity in Gestational Diabetes.

Molan K, Ambrozic Avgustin J, Likar M, Pongrac Barlovic D, Zgur Bertok D, Starcic Erjavec M Biomedicines. 2025; 13(2).

PMID: 40002799 PMC: 11853429. DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines13020387.

Gut microbiota in Crohn's disease pathogenesis.

Ozbey D, Saribas S, Kocazeybek B World J Gastroenterol. 2025; 31(6):101266.

PMID: 39958442 PMC: 11752695. DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i6.101266.

References

Park Y, Hunter D, Spiegelman D, Bergkvist L, Berrino F, van den Brandt P . Dietary fiber intake and risk of colorectal cancer: a pooled analysis of prospective cohort studies. JAMA. 2005; 294(22):2849-57. DOI: 10.1001/jama.294.22.2849. View

Perrine S, Ginder G, Faller D, Dover G, Ikuta T, Witkowska H . A short-term trial of butyrate to stimulate fetal-globin-gene expression in the beta-globin disorders. N Engl J Med. 1993; 328(2):81-6. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199301143280202. View

Burkitt D . Epidemiology of cancer of the colon and rectum. 1971. Dis Colon Rectum. 1993; 36(11):1071-82. DOI: 10.1007/BF02047303. View

Fukumoto S, Tatewaki M, Yamada T, Fujimiya M, Mantyh C, Voss M . Short-chain fatty acids stimulate colonic transit via intraluminal 5-HT release in rats. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2003; 284(5):R1269-76. DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00442.2002. View

Thibault R, Blachier F, Darcy-Vrillon B, de Coppet P, Bourreille A, Segain J . Butyrate utilization by the colonic mucosa in inflammatory bowel diseases: a transport deficiency. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2009; 16(4):684-95. DOI: 10.1002/ibd.21108. View

Rabbani G, Albert M, Rahman H, Chowdhury A . Short-chain fatty acids inhibit fluid and electrolyte loss induced by cholera toxin in proximal colon of rabbit in vivo. Dig Dis Sci. 1999; 44(8):1547-53. DOI: 10.1023/a:1026650624193. View

Kemp S, Wei H, Lu J, Braiterman L, McGuinness M, Moser A . Gene redundancy and pharmacological gene therapy: implications for X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. Nat Med. 1998; 4(11):1261-8. DOI: 10.1038/3242. View

Baeuerle P, Henkel T . Function and activation of NF-kappa B in the immune system. Annu Rev Immunol. 1994; 12:141-79. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.iy.12.040194.001041. View

Kouraklis G, Theocharis S . Histone deacetylase inhibitors: a novel target of anticancer therapy (review). Oncol Rep. 2006; 15(2):489-94. View

10.

Schauber J, Iffland K, Frisch S, Kudlich T, Schmausser B, Eck M . Histone-deacetylase inhibitors induce the cathelicidin LL-37 in gastrointestinal cells. Mol Immunol. 2004; 41(9):847-54. DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2004.05.005. View

11.

Cassidy A, Bingham S, Cummings J . Starch intake and colorectal cancer risk: an international comparison. Br J Cancer. 1994; 69(5):937-42. PMC: 1968884. DOI: 10.1038/bjc.1994.181. View

12.

Howe G, Benito E, Castelleto R, CORNEE J, Esteve J, Gallagher R . Dietary intake of fiber and decreased risk of cancers of the colon and rectum: evidence from the combined analysis of 13 case-control studies. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1992; 84(24):1887-96. DOI: 10.1093/jnci/84.24.1887. View

13.

Hodin R, Meng S, Archer S, Tang R . Cellular growth state differentially regulates enterocyte gene expression in butyrate-treated HT-29 cells. Cell Growth Differ. 1996; 7(5):647-53. View

14.

Kim Y . AGA technical review: impact of dietary fiber on colon cancer occurrence. Gastroenterology. 2000; 118(6):1235-57. DOI: 10.1016/s0016-5085(00)70377-5. View

15.

Soga T, Kamohara M, Takasaki J, Matsumoto S, Saito T, Ohishi T . Molecular identification of nicotinic acid receptor. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2003; 303(1):364-9. DOI: 10.1016/s0006-291x(03)00342-5. View

16.

Mariadason J, BARKLA D, Gibson P . Effect of short-chain fatty acids on paracellular permeability in Caco-2 intestinal epithelium model. Am J Physiol. 1997; 272(4 Pt 1):G705-12. DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.1997.272.4.G705. View

17.

Sviridov D, Safonova I, Talalaev A, Repin V, Smirnov V . Regulation of cholesterol synthesis in isolated epithelial cells of human small intestine. Lipids. 1986; 21(12):759-63. DOI: 10.1007/BF02535408. View

18.

Rogler G, Brand K, Vogl D, Page S, Hofmeister R, Andus T . Nuclear factor kappaB is activated in macrophages and epithelial cells of inflamed intestinal mucosa. Gastroenterology. 1998; 115(2):357-69. DOI: 10.1016/s0016-5085(98)70202-1. View

19.

Soret R, Chevalier J, de Coppet P, Poupeau G, Derkinderen P, Segain J . Short-chain fatty acids regulate the enteric neurons and control gastrointestinal motility in rats. Gastroenterology. 2010; 138(5):1772-82. DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2010.01.053. View

20.

Vanhoutvin S, Troost F, Kilkens T, Lindsey P, Hamer H, Jonkers D . The effects of butyrate enemas on visceral perception in healthy volunteers. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2009; 21(9):952-e76. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2982.2009.01324.x. View