Butyrate Rescues Oxidative Stress-Induced Transport Deficits of Tryptophan: Potential Implication in Affective or...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Microbiology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid produced by gut microbiota, exhibits antioxidant properties.
• Butyrate influences neurological functions and is implicated in gut-brain interactions relevant to affective disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how oxidative stress affects tryptophan transport, a key factor in affective disorders.
• To determine if butyrate can mitigate these negative effects due to its antioxidant capacity and influence on tryptophan transport.

Main Methods:

• Human skin fibroblasts were exposed to hydrogen peroxide to induce oxidative stress.
• Cells were treated with varying concentrations of butyrate.
• Tryptophan uptake was measured using a radiotracer, and gene expression of amino acid transporters was analyzed.

Main Results:

• Oxidative stress significantly reduced tryptophan uptake in fibroblasts.
• Butyrate treatment reversed the decrease in tryptophan uptake caused by oxidative stress.
• Butyrate differentially regulated the gene expression of large amino acid transporters 1 and 2 in stressed and control cells.

Conclusions:

• Gut microbiota-derived butyrate shows therapeutic potential for affective disorders.
• Butyrate may counteract oxidative stress-induced disruptions in tryptophan transport, potentially benefiting conditions with altered serotonergic activity or neuroinflammation.