Role of short-chain fatty acids in the prevention of colorectal cancer

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs: acetate, propionate, n-butyrate) arising in the large bowel during bacterial fermentation of dietary fibre and starch have paradoxical effects on colonie epithelial proliferation. While the three major SCFAs stimulate proliferation of normal crypt cells, n-butyrate an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEuropean journal of cancer (1990) Vol. 31; no. 7; pp. 1077 - 1080
Main Authors Scheppach, W, Bartram, H.P, Richter, F
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England Elsevier Ltd 01.07.1995
Subjects
Animals
Butyrates - pharmacology
Cell Transformation, Neoplastic - metabolism
Colorectal Neoplasms - prevention & control
Diet
Fatty Acids, Volatile - physiology
Humans
Rats
Tumor Cells, Cultured - drug effects
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Summary:Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs: acetate, propionate, n-butyrate) arising in the large bowel during bacterial fermentation of dietary fibre and starch have paradoxical effects on colonie epithelial proliferation. While the three major SCFAs stimulate proliferation of normal crypt cells, n-butyrate and, to a lesser degree, propionate inhibit growth of colon cancer cell lines. At the molecular level, n-butyrate causes histone acetylation, favours differentiation, induces apoptosis and regulates the expression of various oncogenes. To understand the complex effects of SCFAs on carcinogenesis, it is important to study the intermediate stages of the adenoma-carcinoma sequence where a “switch” from stimulation to suppression of cell proliferation must occur. Key words: short-chain fatty acids, butyrate, propionate, acetate, fermentation, dietary fibre, resistant starch, colonie cell proliferation, differentiation
ISSN:0959-8049
1879-0852
DOI:10.1016/0959-8049(95)00165-F