Journal article
Butyrate and Dietary Soluble Fiber Improve Neuroinflammation Associated With Aging in Mice
Frontiers in immunology, v 9, 1832
14 Aug 2018
PMID: 30154787
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Aging results in chronic systemic inflammation that can alter neuroinflammation of the brain. Specifically, microglia shift to a pro-inflammatory phenotype predisposing them to hyperactivation upon stimulation by peripheral immune signals. It is proposed that certain nutrients can delay brain aging by preventing or reversing microglial hyperactivation. Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced primarily by bacterial fermentation of fiber in the colon, has been extensively studied pharmacologically as a histone deacetylase inhibitor and serves as an attractive therapeutic candidate, as butyrate has also been shown to be anti-inflammatory and improve memory in animal models. In this study, we demonstrate that butyrate can attenuate pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in microglia in aged mice. It is still not fully understood, however, if an increase in butyrate-producing bacteria in the gut as a consequence of a diet high in soluble fiber could affect microglial activation during aging. Adult and aged mice were fed either a 1% cellulose (low fiber) or 5% inulin (high fiber) diet for 4 weeks. Findings indicate that mice fed inulin had an altered gut microbiome and increased butyrate, acetate, and total SCFA production. In addition, histological scoring of the distal colon demonstrated that aged animals on the low fiber diet had increased inflammatory infiltrate that was significantly reduced in animals consuming the high fiber diet. Furthermore, gene expression of inflammatory markers, epigenetic regulators, and the microglial sensory apparatus (i.e., the sensome) were altered by both diet and age, with aged animals exhibiting a more anti-inflammatory microglial profile on the high fiber diet. Taken together, high fiber supplementation in aging is a non-invasive strategy to increase butyrate levels, and these data suggest that an increase in butyrate through added soluble fiber such as inulin could counterbalance the age-related microbiota dysbiosis, potentially leading to neurological benefits.
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Details
- Title
- Butyrate and Dietary Soluble Fiber Improve Neuroinflammation Associated With Aging in Mice
- Creators
- Stephanie M. Matt - University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignJacob M. Allen - University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignMarcus A. Lawson - University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignLucy J. Mailing - University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignJeffrey A. Woods - University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignRodney W. Johnson - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Publication Details
- Frontiers in immunology, v 9, 1832
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media Sa
- Number of pages
- 15
- Grant note
- R01 AG16710 / NIH; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA R01AG016710 / NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA) University of Illinois College of ACES Undergraduate Research Program
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Pharmacology and Physiology
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000441651000001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85051593870
- Other Identifier
- 991021902504804721
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- Web of Science research areas
- Immunology