Butyrate in the treatment of experimental models of colitis

Abstract

Background

Note that butyrate is utilised by colonocytes in energy production and that deficiency of this substance is observed in the colon of patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

Aims

We first assessed the efficacy of butyrate in rats with induced colitis, and since this condition represents a condition of increased risk of colonic neoplasia, we also evaluated whether butyrate treatment reduces susceptibility of the mucosa to the emergence of carcinoma in the colon of rats with experimental colitis.

Materials and methods

Colitis was induced with trinitrobenzene-sulphonic acid and colonic tumours were induced with azoxymethane.

Results

Colitis improved noticeably following treatment with butyrate and tumours emerging in colitis were significantly reduced in both size and number.

Conclusions

The results obtained suggest the need for further study of the metabolic fate of butyrate and its role in maintaining the mucosal integrity of the colon.