Butyrate: a cytotoxin for Vero cells produced by Bacteroides gingivalis and Bacteroides asaccharolyticus

Culture filtrates of B. gingivalis and B. asaccharolyticus are cytotoxic for Vero cells. It is shown that the cytotoxic effect is due to the butyrate concentrations present in the culture filtrates of these strains. This cytotoxic effect proved to be reversible. Strains of the B. melaninogenicus subspecies intermedius and melaninogenicus did not produce butyrate and did not show cytotoxic activity towards Vero Cells. The significance of the production of toxic concentrations of butyrate for the etiology of especially periodontal diseases is discussed.