The effects of gut microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) on human colon cancer cells: An in vitro study

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has always been a major concern for researchers due to its deadly nature. One of the microbial metabolites found in the gut is short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which have the ability to regulate the immune system and exert protective effects against CRC. In this study, we investigated the effects of SCFAs on the expression of the CYP1A1 gene in Caco-2 cells at varying concentrations. The Caco-2 cell line and HDF control cell line were treated with three concentrations (7.5, 15, and 30 mM) of NaA(sodium acetate), NaB(sodium butyrate), and NaP(sodium propionate) for three different time periods (24, 48, and 72 h). Additionally, two concentrations (2.5 and 10 μM) of CH223191 (an AhR gene antagonist) alone and a concentration of 10 μM of CH223191 in combination with the mentioned concentrations of NaA, NaB and NaP were applied to the cells for 48 h. The gene expression of CYP1A1 was examined using Real-time PCR. The expression of the CYP1A1 gene increased with concentrations of NaA and NaB at all time points, and with 30 mM of NaP at 24 h (p < 0.05). However, increasing the concentration of NaB and NaP led to decreased expression of the CYP1A1 gene. These findings suggest the potential use of SCFAs as epigenetic drugs for the prevention and treatment of CRC.