Determining how select SCFAs mechanistically affect IBD
Role of SCFAs on IBD
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.2328Keywords:
Crohn's Disease, IBD, Diets, SCD, immunology, HealthcareAbstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic autoimmune condition that affects the gastrointestinal tract, causing debilitating symptoms like chronic abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, and reduced quality of life. Although treatments such as biologics, surgeries, steroids, and antibiotics are available, recent research suggests dietary interventions may offer additional benefits. Specifically, diets like the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and the Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet have shown promise in reducing IBD symptoms for some patients, although the mechanisms by which diet modulates the immune response remain unclear. This study investigated how molecules derived from dietary fibers, namely short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), impact inflammation. Using a co-culture system of Caco2 cells (intestinal epithelial cell surrogate) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs, immune cell surrogates), varying concentrations of the SCFAs butyrate and propionate were added to assess their influence on inflammatory markers post lipopolysaccharides (LPS) stimulation. Results indicated that both butyrate and propionate significantly upregulated anti-inflammatory markers while downregulating pro-inflammatory markers, shedding light on the potential mechanisms by which SCFAs can modulate immune activity in IBD. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of dietary SCFAs and support further exploration of diet as an adjunct treatment for IBD.
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