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Updated: Jun 4, 2025

Author Spotlight: Gut Microbiome-Lung Tissue Communication Through Short-Chain Fatty Acid Analysis
Published on: June 21, 2024
Short-chain fatty acids in fetal development and metabolism
Xueyun Qin1, Mo Zhang1, Shiting Chen1
1Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Institute of Reproduction and Development, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Development, Shanghai, China.
None:
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), primarily derived from gut microbiota, play a role in regulating fetal development; however, the mechanism remains unclear. Fetal SCFAs levels depends on maternal SCFAs transported via the placenta. Metabolic stress, particularly from diabetes and obesity, can disrupt maternal SCFAs levels, impairing fetal metabolic reprogramming. Dysregulated SCFAs may negatively impact the development of the fetal cardiovascular, nervous, and immune systems, potentially contributing to adverse outcomes in adulthood. This review focuses on recent advances regarding the role of maternal SCFAs in shaping the metabolic profile of offspring, especially in the context of various maternal metabolic disorders. Given that SCFAs may influence fetal development through the placenta-embryo axis, targeted SCFAs supplementation could be a promising strategy against developmental diseases associated with intrauterine risk factors.
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