the epigenetic effects of butyrate potential therapeutic implications for clinical practice丁酸的表观遗传效应的潜在的治疗对临床实践的影响.pdf

Berni Canani et al. Clinical Epigenetics 2012, 4:4 /content/4/1/4 REVIEW Open Access The epigenetic effects of butyrate: potential therapeutic implications for clinical practice Roberto Berni Canani1,2*, Margherita Di Costanzo1 and Ludovica Leone1 Abstract Butyrate is a short chain fatty acid derived from the microbial fermentation of dietary fibers in the colon. In the last decade, multiple beneficial effects of butyrate at intestinal and extraintestinal level have been demonstrated. The mechanisms of action of butyrate are different and many of these involve an epigenetic regulation of gene expression through the inhibition of histone deacetylase. There is a growing interest in butyrate because its impact on epigenetic mechanisms will lead to more specific and efficacious therapeutic strategies for the prevention and treatment of different diseases ranging from genetic/metabolic conditions to neurological degenerative disorders. This review is focused on recent data regarding the epigenetic effects of butyrate with potential clinical implications in human medicine. Keywords: epigenome, histone deacetylase inhibitor, short chain fatty acids Introduction without changing the nucleotide sequence. There are The intestinal microbiota plays a critical role in the three distinct, but closely interacting, epigenetic mechan- establishment and maintenance of body health. Com- isms (histone acetylation, DNA methylation, and non- mensal bacteria are involved in the fermentation of diet- coding microRNAs) that are responsible for modifying ary fibers in the colon leading to production of short the expression of critical genes associated with physiolo- chain fatty acids (SCFAs), 2-carbon to 5-ca