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Chakraborty P, Gamage HKAH, Laird AS. Butyrate as a potential therapeutic agent for neurodegenerative disorders. Neurochem Int 2024; 176:105745. [PMID: 38641025 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2024.105745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Maintaining an optimum microbial community within the gastrointestinal tract is intricately linked to human metabolic, immune and brain health. Disturbance to these microbial populations perturbs the production of vital bioactive compounds synthesised by the gut microbiome, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Of the SCFAs, butyrate is known to be a major source of energy for colonocytes and has valuable effects on the maintenance of intestinal epithelium and blood brain barrier integrity, gut motility and transit, anti-inflammatory effects, and autophagy induction. Inducing endogenous butyrate production is likely to be beneficial for gut-brain homeostasis and for optimal neuronal function. For these reasons, butyrate has gained interest as a potential therapy for not only metabolic and immunological disorders, but also conditions related to the brain, including neurodegenerative diseases. While direct and indirect sources of butyrate, including prebiotics, probiotics, butyrate pro-drugs and glucosidase inhibitors, offer a promising therapeutic avenue, their efficacy and dosage in neurodegenerative conditions remain largely unknown. Here, we review current literature on effects of butyrate relevant to neuronal function, the impact of butyrate in a range of neurodegenerative diseases and related treatments that may have potential for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prapti Chakraborty
- Macquarie University Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Hasinika K A H Gamage
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, 2109, Australia; ARC Training Centre for Facilitated Advancement of Australia's Bioactives, Macquarie University, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Angela S Laird
- Macquarie University Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
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Watchon M, Robinson KJ, Luu L, An Y, Yuan KC, Plenderleith SK, Cheng F, Don EK, Nicholson GA, Lee A, Laird AS. Treatment with sodium butyrate induces autophagy resulting in therapeutic benefits for spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23429. [PMID: 38258931 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202300963rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3, also known as Machado Joseph disease) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by the expansion of the trinucleotide repeat region within the ATXN3/MJD gene. Mutation of ATXN3 causes formation of ataxin-3 protein aggregates, neurodegeneration, and motor deficits. Here we investigated the therapeutic potential and mechanistic activity of sodium butyrate (SB), the sodium salt of butyric acid, a metabolite naturally produced by gut microbiota, on cultured SH-SY5Y cells and transgenic zebrafish expressing human ataxin-3 containing 84 glutamine (Q) residues to model SCA3. SCA3 SH-SY5Y cells were found to contain high molecular weight ataxin-3 species and detergent-insoluble protein aggregates. Treatment with SB increased the activity of the autophagy protein quality control pathway in the SCA3 cells, decreased the presence of ataxin-3 aggregates and presence of high molecular weight ataxin-3 in an autophagy-dependent manner. Treatment with SB was also beneficial in vivo, improving swimming performance, increasing activity of the autophagy pathway, and decreasing the presence of insoluble ataxin-3 protein species in the transgenic SCA3 zebrafish. Co-treating the SCA3 zebrafish with SB and chloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor, prevented the beneficial effects of SB on zebrafish swimming, indicating that the improved swimming performance was autophagy-dependent. To understand the mechanism by which SB induces autophagy we performed proteomic analysis of protein lysates from the SB-treated and untreated SCA3 SH-SY5Y cells. We found that SB treatment had increased activity of Protein Kinase A and AMPK signaling, with immunoblot analysis confirming that SB treatment had increased levels of AMPK protein and its substrates. Together our findings indicate that treatment with SB can increase activity of the autophagy pathway process and that this has beneficial effects in vitro and in vivo. While our results suggested that this activity may involve activity of a PKA/AMPK-dependent process, this requires further confirmation. We propose that treatment with sodium butyrate warrants further investigation as a potential treatment for neurodegenerative diseases underpinned by mechanisms relating to protein aggregation including SCA3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxinne Watchon
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katherine J Robinson
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Luan Luu
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Yousun An
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kristy C Yuan
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stuart K Plenderleith
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Flora Cheng
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Emily K Don
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Garth A Nicholson
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- ANZAC Research Institute, Concord Repatriation Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Albert Lee
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Angela S Laird
- Motor Neuron Disease Research Centre, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Riehl L, Fürst J, Kress M, Rykalo N. The importance of the gut microbiome and its signals for a healthy nervous system and the multifaceted mechanisms of neuropsychiatric disorders. Front Neurosci 2024; 17:1302957. [PMID: 38249593 PMCID: PMC10797776 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1302957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence links the gut microbiome and the nervous system in health and disease. This narrative review discusses current views on the interaction between the gut microbiota, the intestinal epithelium, and the brain, and provides an overview of the communication routes and signals of the bidirectional interactions between gut microbiota and the brain, including circulatory, immunological, neuroanatomical, and neuroendocrine pathways. Similarities and differences in healthy gut microbiota in humans and mice exist that are relevant for the translational gap between non-human model systems and patients. There is an increasing spectrum of metabolites and neurotransmitters that are released and/or modulated by the gut microbiota in both homeostatic and pathological conditions. Dysbiotic disruptions occur as consequences of critical illnesses such as cancer, cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease but also neurological, mental, and pain disorders, as well as ischemic and traumatic brain injury. Changes in the gut microbiota (dysbiosis) and a concomitant imbalance in the release of mediators may be cause or consequence of diseases of the central nervous system and are increasingly emerging as critical links to the disruption of healthy physiological function, alterations in nutrition intake, exposure to hypoxic conditions and others, observed in brain disorders. Despite the generally accepted importance of the gut microbiome, the bidirectional communication routes between brain and gut are not fully understood. Elucidating these routes and signaling pathways in more detail offers novel mechanistic insight into the pathophysiology and multifaceted aspects of brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Nadiia Rykalo
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Chiu C, Cheng W, Lin Y, Lin T, Chang H, Chang Y, Lee C, Chang H, Liu C. A pilot study: handgrip as a predictor in the disease progression of SCA3. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2023; 18:317. [PMID: 37817286 PMCID: PMC10565987 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-023-02948-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is an inherited, autosomal, and rare neurodegenerative disease. Serum/plasma biomarkers or functional magnetic resonance imaging used to assess progression, except for neurological examinations, is either inconvenient or expensive. Handgrip strength (HGS) may be considered as a biomarker to predict the progress of SCA3 and align with the alteration of plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL) and Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA). METHODS Patients with SCA3 and healthy subjects were recruited from Changhua Christian Hospital. SARA, body mass index (BMI), and NfL were obtained for both groups. HGS was measured using a Jamar Plus + hand dynamometer. RESULTS This study recruited 31 patients and 36 controls. HGS in the SCA3 group revealed a profound decrease (P < 0.001) compared with normal subjects. HGS also had a negative correlation with SARA (r = - 0.548, P = 0.001), NfL (r = - 0.359, P = 0.048), and a positive correlation with BMI (r = 0.680, P < 0.001). Moreover, HGS/BMI ratio correlated with SARA (r = - 0.441, P = 0.013). Controlling for gender and age, HGS still correlated with the above clinical items. The initial hypothesis was also proved in SCA3 84Q transgenic mice, showing grip strength weakness compared to normal mice. CONCLUSIONS HGS can be an alternative tool to assess the clinical severity of SCA3. Further research is needed to investigate the underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chungmin Chiu
- Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Chinese Medicine, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan
| | - Wenling Cheng
- Vascular and Genomic Center, Institute of ATP, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan
| | - Yongshiou Lin
- Vascular and Genomic Center, Institute of ATP, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan
| | - Tatsung Lin
- Vascular and Genomic Center, Institute of ATP, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan
| | - Huiju Chang
- Center of Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Repair, Institute of ATP, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan
| | - Yujun Chang
- Big Data Center, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan
| | - Chiaju Lee
- Department of Neurology, Changhua Christian Hospital, 7F., No.235, Syuguang Rd., Changhua, 500, Taiwan
| | - Henhong Chang
- Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
- Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, No.91, Xueshi Rd., North District, Taichung, 404, Taiwan.
- Chinese Medicine Research Center, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
| | - Chinsan Liu
- Vascular and Genomic Center, Institute of ATP, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan.
- Department of Neurology, Changhua Christian Hospital, 7F., No.235, Syuguang Rd., Changhua, 500, Taiwan.
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
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