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Comment
. 2018 Feb;15(2):88-91.
doi: 10.1038/cmi.2017.57. Epub 2017 Jul 17.

Microbiota or short-chain fatty acids: which regulates diabetes?

Chang H Kim  1
Affiliations
Comment

Microbiota or short-chain fatty acids: which regulates diabetes?

Chang H Kim. Cell Mol Immunol. 2018 Feb.
No abstract available

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declares no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Beneficial effects of DF and SCFAs on diabetes. Prebiotics, such as dietary fiber (DF) and resistant starch, are fermented into SCFAs in the colon by certain communal bacterial species. Prebiotics and SCFAs alter gut commensal bacteria, enriching certain bacteria with disease-regulatory effects. SCFAs in the gut lumen are absorbed into enterocytes, and they eventually reach the blood circulation. SCFAs in the blood circulation affect glucose storage in the muscle, liver and fat. Acetate (C2) reaches the brain and decreases appetite to decrease food consumption. All of these effects can function to decrease type 2 diabetes (T2D). SCFAs can regulate myeloid cells and lymphocytes to facilitate the generation of lymphocytes that promote immunity but prevent inflammatory diseases. SCFAs can activate GPR43 on intestinal epithelial cells to enhance gut barrier function to prevent inflammatory diseases caused by invading bacteria. These functions are likely to contribute to suppression of autoimmune lymphocytes and type 1 diabetes (T1D). Arrows indicate SCFA transport or interactive regulation.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Suppression of T1D by SCFAs. Prebiotics, such as DF and resistant starch, enrich certain commensal microbiota (for example, unidentified Bacteroid species). Changes in commensal bacteria have suppressive effects on T1D; however, the mechanism remains unclear. SCFAs strengthen the gut epithelial barrier function promoting protective cytokine production and tight junction protein expression. This effect can indirectly suppress the onset of autoimmune disease responses by decreasing the threshold of the activation of antigen-presenting cells and T cells. Moreover, SCFAs can directly regulate immune cells, inducing tolerogenic macrophages and dendritic cells that preferentially generate Tregs. Tregs can suppress the generation of autoimmune T cells that migrate to the pancreas and induce tissue destruction. SCFAs additionally promote the generation of Th1 and Th17 cells, but this function is limited to sites of active immune responses rather than causing chronic inflammatory responses. Arrows denote action points and either an activation or suppression relationship between molecules and cells.
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