Abstract
Short-chain fatty acids stimulate gut epithelial cell proliferation in vivo, although the difference between oral and rectal routes is unknown. Accordingly, we examined the effect of oral or rectal administration of these acids. We instilled a mixture of acetic acid, propionic acid, and n-butyric acid (150, 60, and 60 mmol/liter, respectively; pH 6.5) or saline (270 mM, pH 6.5) into the stomach (2 ml) or rectum (1 ml) three times daily for five days in rats fed an elemental diet. We measured crypt cell production rate of the jejunum, ileum, and distal colon of these rats. The crypt cell production rate of these segments was higher in rats with gastric or rectal instillation of short-chain fatty acids than in saline controls. The rectal route was slightly more effective than the gastric route. The above results indicated that the instillation of short-chain fatty acids orally or rectally stimulated gut epithelial cell proliferation.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Bragg LE, Thompson JS, Rikkers LF: Influence of nutrient dilivery on gut structure and function. Nutrition 7:237–243, 1991
Kissmeyer-Nielsen P, Mortensen F, Laurberg S, Hessov I: Transmural trophic effect of short chain fatty acid infusions on atrophic, defunctioned rat colon. Dis Colon Rectum 38:946–995, 1995
Goodlad RA, Lenton W, Ghatei MA, Adrian TE, Bloom SR, Wright NA: Effects of an elemental diet, inert bulk and different types of dietary fibre on the response of the intestinal epithelium to refeeding in the rat and relationship to plasma gastrin, enteroglucagon, and PYY concentrations. Gut 28:171–180, 1987
Hosoda N, Nishi M, Nakagawa M: Structural and functional alterations in the gut of parenterally or enterally fed rats. J Surg Res 47:129–133, 1989
Sircar B, Johnson LR, Lichtenberger LM: Effect of synthetic diets on gastrointestinal mucosal DNA synthesis in rats. Am J Physiol 244:G327–G335, 1983
Alverdy J, Aoys E, Moss G: Total parenteral nutrition promotes bacterial translocation from the gut. Surgery 104:185–190, 1988
Alverdy J, Aoys E, Moss G: Effect of commercially available chemically defined liquid diets on the intestinal microflora and bacterial translocation from the gut. JPEN 14:1–6, 1990
Deitch E, Xu D, Naruhn M, Deitch DC, Lu Q, Marino, AA: Elemental diet and IV-TPN-induced bacterial translocation is associated with loss of intestinal mucosal barrier function against bacteria. Ann Surg 221:299–307, 1995
Spaeth G, Gottwald T, Hirner A: Fibre is an essential ingredient of enteral diets to limit bacterial translocation in rats. Eur J Surg 161:513–518, 1995
Cummings J, Macfarlane G: The control and consequences of bacterial fermentation in the human colon. J Appl Bacteriol 70:443–459, 1991
Roediger WE: Utilization of nutrients by isolated epithelial cells of the rat colon. Gastroenterology 83:424–429, 1982
Remesy C, Demigne C: Changes in availability of glucogenic and ketogenic substrates and liver metabolism in fed or starved rats. Ann Nutr Metab 27:57–70, 1983
Sakata T: Stimulatory effect of short-chain fatty acids on epithelial cell proliferation in the rat intestine: A possible explanation for trophic effects of fermentable fibre, gut microbes and luminal tropic factors. Br J Nutr 58:96–103, 1987
Kripke SA, Fox AD, Berman JM: Stimulation of intestinal mucosal growth with intracolonic infusion of short-chain fatty acids. JPEN 13:109–116, 1989
Scheppach W, Bartram P, Richter A, Richter F, Liepold H, Dusel G, Hofstetter G, Ruthlein J, Kasper H: Effect of shortchain fatty acids on the human colonic mucosa in vitro. JPEN 16:43–48, 1992
Koruda M, Rollanderi R, Bliss D, Hastings J, Rombeau JL, Settle RG: Parenteral nutrition supplemented with short-chain fatty acids: effect on the small bowel mucosa in normal rats. Am J Clin Nutr 51:685–689, 1990
Zieve FJ, Zieve L, Doizaki WM, Gilsdorf RB: Synergism between ammonia and fatty acids in the production of coma: Implications for hepatic coma. J Pharmacol Exp Theor 191:10–16, 1974
Zieve L, Doizaki WM, Zieve J: Synergism between mercaptans and ammonia or fatty acids in the production of coma: A possible role for mercaptans in the pathogenesis of hepatic coma. J Lab Clin Med 83:16–28, 1974
Mortensen FV, Hessov I, Birke H, Korsgaard N, Nielsen H: Microcirculatory and trophic effects of short chain fatty acids in the human rectum after Hartmann's procedure. Br J Surg 78:1208–1211, 1991
Kripke SA, De Paula JA, Berman JM, Fox AD, Rombeau JL, Settle RG: Experimental short-bowel syndrome: Effect of an elemental diet supplemented with short-chain triglycerides. Am J Clin Nutr 53:954–962, 1991
Lynch JW, Miles JM, Bailey JW: Effects of the short-chain triglyceride triacetin on intestinal mucosa and metabolic substrates in rats. JPEN 18:208–213, 1994
Wimber DR, Lamerton LF: Cell population studies on the intestine of continuously irradiated rats. Radiat Res 18:137–146, 1973
Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ: Biometry: The Principles and Practice of Statistics in Biological Research, 3rd ed. New York, WH Freeman and Company, 1995
Ohta A, Ohtsuki M, Baba S, Adachi T, Sakata T, Sakaguchi E: Increase in calcium and magnesium absorption from the colon and rectum of rats fed fructooligosaccharides. J Nutr 125:2417–2424, 1995
Harig JM, Soergel KH, Komorowski RA, Wood CM: Treatment of diversion colitis with short-chain-fatty acid irrigation. N Engl J Med 320:23–28, 1989
Mortensen P, Clausen M: Short-chain fatty acids, antibioticassociated diarrhoea, colonic adenomas and cancer. In Physiological and Clinical Aspects of Short-Chain Fatty Acids. JH Cummings, JL Rombeau, T Sakata (eds). Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1995, pp 373–389
Livesey G, Elia M: Short-chain fatty acids as an energy source in the colon: Metabolism and clinical implications. In Physiological and Clinical Aspects of Short-Chain Fatty Acids. JH Cummings, JL Rombeau, T Sakata (eds). Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1995, pp 427–481
Sakata T, Tamate H: Rumen epithelial cell proliferation accelerated by rapid increase in intraruminal butyrate. J Dairy Sci 61:1109–1113, 1978
Yajima T: Sensory mechanism for short-chain fatty acids in the colon. In Physiological and Clinical Aspects of Short-Chain Fatty Acids. JH Cummings, JL Rombeau, T Sakata (eds). Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1995, pp 209–221
Wright NA: Cell proliferation in the normal gastrointestinal tract: implications for proliferative response. In Cell Proliferation in the Gastrointestinal Tract. Tunbridge Wells, Pitman Medical, 1980, pp 3–21
Sakata T: Effects of short-chain fatty acids on the proliferation of gut epithelial cells in vivo. In Physiological and Clinical Aspects of Short-Chain Fatty Acids. JH Cummings, JL Rombeau, T Sakata (eds). Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1995, pp 289–305
Sakata T, Engelhardt W: Stimulatory effect of short-chain fatty acids on the epithelial cell proliferation in rat large intestine. Comp Biochem Physiol A47:459–462, 1983
Frankel W, Zhang W, Singh A, Klurfeld D, Sakata T, Modlin I, Rombeau J: Stimulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) mediates short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) induced jejunal trophism. Surg Forum 43:24–25, 1992
Reilly K, Frankel W, Klurfeld D, Choi D, Rombeau JL: The parasympathetic (PSNS) and sympathetic (SNS) nervous sys-tem mediate the systemic effects of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) on jejunal structure and function. Surg Forum 44:20–22, 1993
Sakata T: Stimulatory effect of short-chain fatty acids on epithelial cell proliferation of isolated and denervated jejunal segment of the rat. Scand J Gastroenterol 24:886–890, 1989
Prizont R, Whitehead JS, Kim YS: Short chain fatty acids in rats with jejunal blind loops. I. Analysis of SCFA in small intestine, cecum, feces, and plasma. Gastroenterology 69:1254–1264, 1975
Schmitt MG, Soergel KH, Wood CM: Absorption of short chain fatty acids from the human jejunum. Gastroenterology 70:211–215, 1976
Schmitt MG, Soergel KH, Wood CM, Steff JJ: Absorption of short-chain fatty acids from the human ileum. Am J Dig Dis 22:340–347, 1977
Friedel D, Levine GM: Effect of short-chain fatty acids on colonic function and structure. JPEN 16:1–4, 1992
Karlstad MD, Killeffer JA, Bailey JW, DeMichele SJ: Parenteral nutrition with short-and long-chain triglycerides: Triacetin reduces atrophy of small and large bowel mucosa and improves protein metabolism in burned rats. Am J Clin Nutr 55:1005–1011, 1992
Rollandelli R, Koruda M, Settle R, Rombeau JL: Effects of intraluminal infusion of short chain fatty accids on the healing of colonic anastomosis in the rat. Surgery 100:198–203, 1986
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ichikawa, H., Shineha, R., Satomi, S. et al. Gastric or Rectal Instillation of Short-Chain Fatty Acids Stimulates Epithelial Cell Proliferation of Small and Large Intestine in Rats. Dig Dis Sci 47, 1141–1146 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015014829605
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015014829605