Abstract
Butyrate is one of the three principal short chain fatty acids (SCFA) in humans generated by colonic microbial fermentation of dietary substrates. SCFA are the C2-5 organic fatty acids, also called the volatile fatty acids (VFA), which include acetate, propionate and butyrate. Colonic intraluminal levels of butyrate may play a role in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases of the large intestine. This chapter reviews the production, absorption, metabolism, and therapeutic implications of butyrate.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adrian TE, Ferri GL, Bacarese-Hamilton AJ, Fuessl HS, Polak M, Bloom SR, 1985, Human distribution and release of a putative new gut hormone peptide YY. Gastroenterology 89:1070–1077.
Awad AB, Ferger SL, Fink CS, 1990, Effect of dietary fat on the lipid composition and utilization of short-chain fatty acids by rat colonocytes. Lipids 25(6):316–320.
Binder HJ, Mehta P,1989, Short chain fatty acids stimulate active sodium and chloride absorption in vitro in the rat distal colon. Gastroenterology 96:989–996.
Bishop PR, Warwick GJ, Gishan FK, Barnard JA, 1992, Sodium butyrate upregulates Na-H exchanger mRNA and transport activity in СaCo-2 cells. Gastroenterology 102:A358.
Boffa LC, Lupton JR, Mariani MR, Ceppi M, Newmark HL, Scalmati A, Lipkin M, 1992, Modulation of colonic epithelial cell proliferation, histone acetylation, and luminal short-chain fatty acids by variation of dietary fiber (wheat bran) in rats. Cancer Res 52:5906–5912.
Bourquin LD, Titgemeyer EC, Garleb KA, Fahey GC, 1992, Short-chain fatty-acid production and fiber degradation by human colonic bacteria: effects of substrate and cell wall fractionation procedures. J Nutr 122:1508–1520.
Bowling TE, Raimundo AH, Grimble GK, Silk DBA, 1993, Reversal by short-chain fatty acids of colonic fluid secretion induced by enteral feeding. Lancet 342:1266–1268.
Bustos-Fernandez LB, Gonzalez E, Marzi A, Ledesma Depaullo MI, 1971, Fecal acidorrhea. New England J of Medicine, 284:295–298.
Butzer JD, Parmar R, Dalai V, 1995, Butyrate enemas stimulate mucosal repair in an experimental colitis in the rat. Gastroenterology 108:A276.
Chehab FF, Kan YW, Law ML, Hartz J, Kao FT, Blostein R, 1987, Human placental Na, K-ATPase alpha subunit: cDNA cloning, tissue expression, DNA polymorphism, and chromosomal localization. Proceedings of the Nat Acad of Sciences USA 84:7901–7905.
Cherbuy C, Darcy-Vrillon B, Morel MT, Pegorier JP, Duee PH, 1995, Effect of germfree state on the capacities of isolated colonocytes to metabolize n-butyrate, glucose, and glutamine. Gastroenterology 109:1890–99.
Cummings J. Quantitating short chain fatty acid production in humans, 1994, Quantitating short chain fatty acid production in humans. In Short-chain fatty acids, J Cummings, HJ Binder, K Soergel (eds). Boston, Kluwer Academic Publisher, pp 11–19
Cummings JH, Pomare EW, Branch WJ, Naylor CPE, MacFarlane GT, 1987, Short chain fatty acids in human large intestine, portal, hepatic, and venous blood. Gut 28:1221–1227.
Demigne C, Remesy C, 1985, Stimulation of absorption of volatile fatty acids and minerals in cecum of rats adapted to a very high fiber diet. J of Nutrition 115:53–60
Engelhardt WV, Rechkemmer G, 1983, Absorption of inorganic ions in short chain fatty acids in the colon of mammals. In Intestinal Transport: Fundamental and Comparative Aspects, M Gilles-Baillien and R Gilles (eds). Berlin, Springer-Verlag, pp 26–45.
Englehardt WV, 1995, Absorption of short-chain fatty acids from the large intestine. in Physiological and Clinical Aspects of Short-Chain Fatty Acids. Cambridge University Press, pp. 149–170.
Frankel WL, Lew J, Su B, Bain A, Klurfeld D, Einhorn E, MacDermott RP, Rombeau JL, 1994, Mediation of the trophic effects of short-chain fatty acids on the rat jejunum and colon. Gastroenterology 106:375–380.
Gibson PR, Pavli P, 1992, Pathogenic factors in inflammatory bowel disease. I. Ulcerative colitis. Digestive Diseases and Sciences 10:17–28.
Glotzer DJ, Glick ME, Goldman H, 1981, Proctitis and colitis following diversion of the fecal stream. Gastroenterology 80:438–1441.
Guillemot F, Colombel JF, Neut C, Verplanck N, Lecomte M, Romond C, Paris JC, Cortot A, 1991, Treatment of diversion colitis by short-chain fatty acids. Diseases of the Colon and Rectum 34:861–864.
Hang JM, Soergel KH, Komorowski RA, Wood CM, 1989, Treatment of diversion colitis with short-chain fatty acid irrigation. New England J of Medicine 320:23–28.
Holtug K, Rasmussen HS, Mortensen PB, 1992, An in vitro study of short-chain fatty acid concentrations, production and absorption in pig (sus scrofa) colon. Comp Biochem Physiol 103:189–197.
Kameyama J, Narui H, Imui M, 1984, Energy level in large intestinal mucosa in patients with ulcerative colitis. Tohoku J of Experimental Medicine 143:253–254.
Kashtan H, Stern HS, Jenkins DJA, Jenkins AL, Thompson LU, Ha K, Marcon N, Minkin S, Bruce WR, 1992, Colonic fermentation and markers of colorectal-cancer risk. Am J Clin Nutr 55:73–728.
Knudsen KE, Jensen BB, Hansen I, 1993, Oat bran but not a (i-glucan enriched oat fraction enhances butyrate production in the large intestine of pigs. J Nutr 123:1235–1247.
Kvietys PR, Granger DN, 1981, Effects of volatile fatty acids on blood flow and oxygen uptake by the dog colon. Gastroenterology 80:962–969
Longo WE, Ballantyne GH, Savoca PE, Adrian TE, Bilchik AJ, Modlin IM, 1991, Short-chain fatty acid release of peptide YY in the isolated rabbit distal colon. Scand J of Gastroenterol 26(4):442–8.
Lutz T, Scharrer E, 1991, Effect of short-chain fatty acids on calcium absorption by the rat. Experimental Physiology 76:615–618.
Macfarlane GT, Gibson GR, 1995, Microbiological aspects of the production of short-chain fatty acids in the large bowel. In Physiological and Clinical Aspects of Short-Chain Fatty Acids. Cambridge University Press, pp 87–105.
Mackie RI, Wilkins CA, 1988, Enumeration of anaerobic bacterial microflora of the equine gastrointestinal tract. Appl Environ Microbiol 54:2155–2160.
McIntyre A, Gibson PR, Young GP, 1993, Butyrate production from dietary fibre and protection against large bowel cancer in a rat model. Gut; 34:386–91.
McIntyre A, Young GP, Taranto T, Gibson PR, Ward PB, 1991, Different fibers have different regional effects on luminal contents of rat colon. Gastroenterology 101:1274–1281.
Moore WEC, Moore LH, 1995, Intestinal floras of population that have a high risk of colon cancer. Appl and Env Microbiology 61,9:3202–7.
Mortensen PB, Clausen MR, Bonnen H, Hove H, Holtug K, 1992, Colonic fermentation of ispaghula, wheat bran, glucose, and albumin to short-chain fatty acids and ammonia evaluated in vitro in 50 subjects. JPEN J Par-enter Enter Nutr 16:433–439.
Rechkemmer G, Engelhardt WV, 1988, Concentration and pH dependence of short-chain fatty acid absorption in the proximal and distal colon of guinea pig. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 91 A:569–663.
Rechkemmer G, Ronnau K, Engelhardt WV, 1988b, Fermentation of polysaccharides and absorption of short chain fatty acids in the mammalian hindgut. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 90A:563–8.
Roediger W, Lawson MJ, Kwok V, Grant AK, Pannall PR, 1984, Colonic bicarbonate output as a test of disease activity in ulcerative colitis. J of Clinical Pathology 37:704–707.
Roediger W, Schapel G, Lawson M, Radcliffe B, Nance S, 1986, Effect of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) and other salicylates on short-chain fat metabolism in the colonic mucosa. Biochemical Pharmacology 35:221–225.
Roediger WE, 1980, The colonic epithelium in ulcerative colitis: an energy deficient disease? Lancet 2(8197):712–715
Roediger W, 1982, Utilization of nutrients by isolated epithelial cells of the rat colon. Gastroenterology 83:424–429.
Roediger WEW, 1994, imprint of disease on short-chain fatty acids metabolism by colonocytes. In Short-chainfatty acids, J Cummings, HJ Binder, K Soergel (eds). Boston, Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp 195–205.
Rolandelli RH, Koruda MJ, Settle R, Rombeau J, 1986, Effects of intraluminal infusion of short-chain fatty acids on the healing of colonic anastomosis in the rat. Surgery 100:198–203.
Rombeau J, Kripke SA, Settle RG, 1990, Short-chain fatty acids: production, absorption, metabolism, and intestinal effects. In Dietary Fiber: Basic and Clinical Aspects, pp 317–339, New York, Plenum Press.
Ronnaü K, Guth D, Engelhardt WV, 1989, Absorption of dissociated and undissociated short-chain fatty acids across the colonic epithelium of guinea pit. Quarterly J of Experimental Physiology 74:511–519.
Sakamoto J, Nakaji S, Sugawara K, Iwane S, Munakata A. 1996, Comparison of resistant starch with cellulose diet on 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced colonic carcinogenesis in rats. Gastroenterology 110:116–20.
Sakata T, Engelhardt WV, 1983, Stimulatory effects of short chain fatty acids on the epithelial cell proliferation in rat large intestine. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, 74A:459–462.
Scheppach W, Burghardt W, Bartram P, Kasper H, 1990, Addition of dietary fiber to liquid formula diets: the pros and cons. J of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 14:204–209.
Scheppach W, Sommer H, Kirchner T, Paganelli GM, Bartram P, Chritl S, Richter F, Dusel G, Kasper H, 1992, Effect of butyrate enemas on the colonic mucosa in distal ulcerative colitis. Gastroenterology 103:51–56.
Sellin JH, De Soignie R, Burlingame S, 1993, Segmental differences in short-chain fatty acids transport in rabbit colon. Effect of pt-I and Na. J Membr Biol 136:147–158.
Titgemeyer EC, Bourquin LD, Fahey GC, Garleb KA, 1991, Fermentability of various fiber sources by human fecal bacteria in vitro. Am J Clin Nutr 53:418–424.
Topping DL, Illman RJ, Clarke JM, Trimble RP, Jackson KA, Marsono Y, 1993, Dietary fat and fiber alter large bowel and portal venous volatile fatty acids and plasma cholesterol but not biliary steroids in pigs. J Nutr 123:133–143.
Trinidad TP, Wolever TMS, Thompson LU, 1996, Effect of acetate and propionate on calcium absorption from the rectum and distal colon of humans. Am J Clin Nutr 63:574–8.
Umesaki Y, Yajima T, Yokokura T, Mutai M, 1979, Effect of Organic acid absorption on bicarbonate transport in rat colon. Pflugers Archive - European J of Physiology 379:43–47.
Vernay M, 1987, Effects of plasma aldosterone on butyrate absorption and metabolism in the rabbit proximal colon. comp biochem and Physiology 86:657–662.
Weaver GA, Krause JA, Miller TL, Wolin MJ, 1992, Cornstarch fermentation by the colonic microbial community yields more butyrate than does cabbage fiber fermentation; cornstarch fermentation rates correlate negatively with methanogenesis. Am J Clin Nutr 55:70–77.
Yajima T, 1985, Contractile effect of short-chain fatty acids on the isolated colon of the rat. J of Physiology 368:667–678.
Young GP, Gibson PR, 1994, Butyrate and colorectal cancer cell. In Short-chain fatty acids. J Cummings, HJ Binder, K Soergel (eds). Boston, Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp 148–160.
Young GP, McIntyre A, Albert V, Folino M, Muir JG, Gibson PR, 1996, Wheat bran suppresses potato starch-potentiated colorectal tumorigenesis at the aberrant crypt stage in a rat model. Gastroenterology 110:508–14.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Velázquez, O.C., Lederer, H.M., Rombeau, J.L. (1997). Butyrate and the Colonocyte. In: Kritchevsky, D., Bonfield, C. (eds) Dietary Fiber in Health and Disease. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 427. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5967-2_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5967-2_14
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7735-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-5967-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive