• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.539-549
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• 1996

Large bowel cancer correlates tightly to dietary factors such as dietary fiber and fat. Dietary fiber prevents the large bowel cancer in different modes of action which depend upon physicochemical and fermentable properties. Water-soluble fiber is fermented easily by intestinal microbes producing short chain fatty acids ; in contrast, water-insoluble fiber occurs effectively more rapid transit time due to greater bulk of gut content, though it is unfermentable. Not only short chain fatty acid is utilized in the proximal and distal colon as primary energy source, but also it lowers pH in the colon to normalize cellular differentiation and helps to stimulate peri staltic movement by acting as an osmotic laxative. In particular, butyric acid may also regulate gene expression and cell growth, though it is an important respiratory fuel for the colonocyte. Since dietary fiber and non-digestible oligosaccharides are the major source of butyric acid, this provides a possible link between dietary fiber and oligosaccharide and prevention of large bowel cancer. But, as with many links between dietary fiber and large bowel cancer, a direct casual association has not been established. In addition, RDA of dietary fiber which is 20~25g/day for adult Japanese, appears to be reasonable for the defecation once daily and the prevention of large bowel cancer.

• BMB Reports
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• v.54 no.8
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• pp.431-436
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• 2021

In recent years, restoring anti-tumor immunity has garnered a growing interest in cancer treatment. As potential therapeutics, immune checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated benefits in many clinical studies. Although various methods have been applied to suppress immune checkpoints to boost anti-tumor immunity, including the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors, there are still unmet clinical needs to improve the response rate of cancer treatment. Here, we show that acetate can suppress the expression of poliovirus receptor (PVR/CD155), a ligand for immune checkpoint, in colon cancer cells. We demonstrated that acetate treatment could enhance effector responses of CD8⁺ T cells by decreasing the expression of PVR/CD155 in cancer cells. We also found that acetate could reduce the expression of PVR/CD155 by deactivating the PI3K/AKT pathway. These results demonstrate that acetate-mediated expression of PVR/CD155 in cancer cells might potentiate the anti-tumor immunity in the microenvironment of cancer. Our findings indicate that maintaining particular acetate concentrations could be a complementary strategy in current cancer treatment.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1571-1586
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• 2012

On earth, there are about 5,400 kinds of mammals, of which about 1,000 kinds are herbivores. Among herbivores, about 250 kinds are known to be ruminants. As for cattle and sheep, which are ruminants, fermentation takes places mainly in their rumen; in contrast, for pigs and men, which are non-ruminants, fermentation takes place mainly in their caecum, colon, and rectum. As for the kind and dominance of rumen microorganisms, Bacteroidetes account for 51% and Firmicutes for 43%. As for the dominance of the large intestine microorganisms in men, Firmicutes account for 65% and Bacteroidetes for 25%. Cell wall components are decomposed by microorganisms, and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are generated through fermentation; the ratio of acetate, propionate, and butyrate generate is 60:25:15. Butyrate absorbed through the primary butyrate transporter MCT1 (mono carboxylate transports-1) in the intestines activates such SCFA receptors as GPR43 and GPR41. Butyrate has a strong anti-tumorigenic function. Butyrate is characterized by the fact that it has an effect on many cancer cells, contributes to the coordination of functions in the cells, and induces cancer apoptosis. Butyrate activates caspase but inhibits the activity of HDAC (histone deacetylase), so as to induce apoptosis. In addition, it increases p53 expression, so as to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Anti-inflammation actions of SCFA include the reduction of IL-8 expression in intestinal epithelial cells, the inhibition of NO synthesis, and the restraint of the activity of NF-${\kappa}B$ (nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$), so as to suppress the occurrence of cancers caused by inflammation. Butyrate plays an important role in maintaining physiological functions of intestinal mucous membranes and is used as a cure for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.160-168
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• 1999

Butyrate is one of the short-chain fatty acids that are present in the colon of mammals in millimolar concentration as a result of microbial anaerobic fermentation of dietary fiber, undigested starch, and proteins. In this study, sodium butyrate was examined in HT29 cell, human colonic cancer cell line, on cell viability, alkaline phosphatase activity, PLC-${\gamma}$1 expression and complex sphingolipid biosynthesis. Treatment with butyrate showed that the decrease of cell adhesion and viability was time-dependent. Sodium butyrate also induced to increase the activity of alkaline phosphatase which is a differentiation marker enzyme and decrease the expression of PLC-${\gamma}$1. Biosynthesis of sphingomyelin and galactosylceramide by butyrate treatment were decreased so fast but ceramide was increased 680dpm/mg protein% more than untreated group on first day and then decreased fast. In addition, acid ceramidase and neutral ceramidase activity were inhibited early stage by sodium butyrate. These results suggest that sodium butyrate causes cell differentiation or cell growth arrest of HT29 cell accompanied by early increase of ceramide content and alkaline phosphatase activity and decrease of galactosylceramide content and PLC-r1 expression.