Resistant starch induces catabolic but suppresses immune and cell division pathways and changes the microbiome in proximal colon of male pigs

Consumption of resistant starch (RS) has been associated with various intestinal health benefits, but knowledge on its effects on global gene expression in the colon is limited. The main objective of the current study was to identify genes affected by RS in the proximal colon to infer which biologic pathways were modulated. Ten 17-wk-old male pigs, fitted with a cannula in the proximal colon for repeated collection of tissue biopsy samples and luminal content, were fed a digestible starch (DS) diet or a diet high in RS (34%) for 2 consecutive periods of 14 d in a crossover design. Analysis of the colonic transcriptome profiles revealed that, upon RS feeding, oxidative metabolic pathways, such as the tricarboxylic acid cycle and β-oxidation, were induced, whereas many immune response pathways, including adaptive and innate immune system, as well as cell division were suppressed. The nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARG) was identified as a potential key upstream regulator. RS significantly (P < 0.05) increased the relative abundance of several butyrate-producing microbial groups, including the butyrate producers Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Megasphaera elsdenii, and reduced the abundance of potentially pathogenic members of the genus Leptospira and the phylum Proteobacteria. Concentrations in carotid plasma of the 3 main short-chain fatty acids acetate, propionate, and butyrate were significantly higher with RS consumption compared with DS consumption. Overall, this study provides novel insights on effects of RS in proximal colon and contributes to our understanding of a healthy diet

Short-chain fatty acid-induced changes in colonic gene expression depend on dietary fat content in mice

Background: Acetate, propionate, and butyrate are the main short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) produced in the colon as a result of microbial fermentation of dietary fibers. An increasing amount of evidence suggests that these SCFA have major health benefits. The composition of the microbiota is altered by dietary fat, and this is believed to impact SCFA production. Currently it is unknown whether host gene expression responses to SCFA are modulated by fat content of the diet. The aim of this study was to compare the changes in colonic gene expression profiles after acetate, propionate and butyrate infusions between a low fat and high fat diet. Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice were fed semi-synthetic low fat (10 energy%) or high fat (45 E%) diets starting 2 weeks before the SCFA treatment period. During treatment, mice received a rectal infusion of either an acetate, propionate, butyrate, or a saline (control) solution for 6 consecutive days, after which colon was subjected to gene expression profiling. Unsupervised visualization of the dataset was performed using Independent Principal Component Analysis. For each SCFA, similarities of its effects on a low fat and a high fat diet were assessed using Rank-Rank Hypergeometric Overlap. In addition, differentially expressed genes were identified, and gene set enrichment analysis was performed to determine functional implications of the regulated genes. Results: Taking into account the complete dataset, we observed that more variation in gene expression profiles was explained by fat content of the diet than by SCFA treatment. Gene expression responses to acetate and butyrate were similar on the low fat versus high fat diet, but were opposite for propionate. Functionally the expression changes reflected differential modulation of several metabolic processes; genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation, lipid catabolism, lipoprotein metabolism and cholesterol transport were suppressed by acetate and butyrate treatment, whereas propionate treatment resulted in changes in fatty acid and sterol biosynthesis, and in amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism. Conclusions: We demonstrated that dietary fat content impacts the colonic gene expression response to propionate, and to a lesser extent to acetate and butyrate. The study demonstrates that knowledge on diet composition is essential when studying effects of SCFAs on metabolism

Short-chain fatty acids stimulate angiopoietin-like 4 synthesis in human colonocytes by selective PPARγ modulation

Angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4, also referred to as Fiaf) has been proposed as a circulating mediator between the gut microbiota and fat storage in adipose tissue. Very little is known about the mechanisms of regulation of ANGPTL4 in the colon. Here we show that transcription and subsequent secretion of ANGPTL4 in human T84 and HT-29 colonocytes is highly induced by physiological concentrations of products of bacterial fermentation, the short-chain fatty acids. Short-chain fatty acids induce ANGPTL4 by activating the nuclear receptor PPARγ, as shown by microarray, transactivation assays, coactivator peptide recruitment assay, and use of PPARγ antagonist. At concentrations required for PPARγ activation and ANGPTL4 induction in colonocytes, SCFA do not stimulate PPARγ in mouse 3T3-L1 and human SGBS adipocytes, suggesting that SCFA act as selective PPARγ modulators (SPPARM), which is supported by coactivator peptide recruitment assay and structural modelling. It can be concluded that 1) SCFA potently stimulate ANGPTL4 synthesis in human colonocytes, and 2) SCFA transactivate and bind to PPARγ by serving as selective PPAR modulators. Our data point to activation of PPARγ as a novel mechanism of gene regulation by SCFA in the colon

Short-chain fatty acids stimulate angiopoietin-like 4 synthesis in human colonocytes by selective PPARγ modulation

Angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4, also referred to as Fiaf) has been proposed as a circulating mediator between the gut microbiota and fat storage in adipose tissue. Very little is known about the mechanisms of regulation of ANGPTL4 in the colon. Here we show that transcription and subsequent secretion of ANGPTL4 in human T84 and HT-29 colonocytes is highly induced by physiological concentrations of products of bacterial fermentation, the short-chain fatty acids. Short-chain fatty acids induce ANGPTL4 by activating the nuclear receptor PPARγ, as shown by microarray, transactivation assays, coactivator peptide recruitment assay, and use of PPARγ antagonist. At concentrations required for PPARγ activation and ANGPTL4 induction in colonocytes, SCFA do not stimulate PPARγ in mouse 3T3-L1 and human SGBS adipocytes, suggesting that SCFA act as selective PPARγ modulators (SPPARM), which is supported by coactivator peptide recruitment assay and structural modelling. It can be concluded that 1) SCFA potently stimulate ANGPTL4 synthesis in human colonocytes, and 2) SCFA transactivate and bind to PPARγ by serving as selective PPAR modulators. Our data point to activation of PPARγ as a novel mechanism of gene regulation by SCFA in the colon

Short-Chain Fatty Acids Stimulate Angiopoietin-Like 4 Synthesis in Human Colon Adenocarcinoma Cells by Activating Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor gamma

<p>Angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4/FIAF) has been proposed as a circulating mediator between the gut microbiota and fat storage. Here, we show that transcription and secretion of ANGPTL4 in human T84 and HT29 colon adenocarcinoma cells is highly induced by physiological concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). SCFA induce ANGPTL4 by activating the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma), as demonstrated using PPAR gamma antagonist, PPAR gamma knockdown, and transactivation assays, which show activation of PPAR gamma but not PPAR alpha and PPAR delta by SCFA. At concentrations required for PPAR gamma activation and ANGPTL4 induction in colon adenocarcinoma cells, SCFA do not stimulate PPAR gamma in mouse 3T3-L1 and human SGBS adipocytes, suggesting that SCFA act as selective PPAR gamma modulators (SPPARM), which is supported by coactivator peptide recruitment assay and structural modeling. Consistent with the notion that fermentation leads to PPAR activation in vivo, feeding mice a diet rich in inulin induced PPAR target genes and pathways in the colon. We conclude that (i) SCFA potently stimulate ANGPTL4 synthesis in human colon adenocarcinoma cells and (ii) SCFA transactivate and bind to PPAR gamma. Our data point to activation of PPARs as a novel mechanism of gene regulation by SCFA in the colon, in addition to other mechanisms of action of SCFA.</p>