Butyrate Suppresses The Severity Of Acetic Acid-Induced Ulcerative Colitis In Rats

Short chain fatty acids are increasingly used as food additives due to the health benefits they have. Recently, they have been implicated in protecting patients against intestinal disorders but without a well-known mechanism. We explored the benefits of a major short chain fatty acid, butyrate on experimental ulcerative colitis in rats. The ulcerative colitis was induced by intrarectal instillation of 10% acetic acid after or without prior administration of 50 or 150 mg/kg butyrate intraperitoneally or intrarectally, respectively, for three consecutive days prior to exposure to acetic acid. After 24 hours of exposure to acetic acid, rats were sacrificed, postmortem examination done, intestinal sections fixed, processed and stained for histopathology in a routine manner. Acetic acid induced infiltration of inflammatory cells, loss of epithelium, crypt damage, and loss of goblet cells in the colon. These changes were significantly suppressed following butyrate treatment. We conclude that butyrate reduces the severity of acetic acid induced ulcerative colitis lesions in rats. This protective potency could be, at least in part, one of the mechanisms by which butyrate imparts its benefits to ulcerative colitis patients. Tanzania Veterinary Journal Vol. 25 (1) 2008: pp. 1-12