Application background and mechanism of short-chain fatty acids in sepsis-associated encephalopathy

Qiulei Zhang; Chang Lu; Weixuan Fan; Jingxiao Zhang; Yongjie Yin

doi:10.3389/fcimb.2023.1137161

Application background and mechanism of short-chain fatty acids in sepsis-associated encephalopathy

Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2023 Mar 28:13:1137161. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1137161. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Qiulei Zhang¹, Chang Lu², Weixuan Fan¹, Jingxiao Zhang¹, Yongjie Yin¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Emergency and Critical Care, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
² Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.

Abstract

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a frequent brain dysfunction found in sepsis patients, manifesting as delirium, cognitive impairment, and abnormal behaviors. The gut microbiome and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are particularly associated with neuroinflammation in patients with SAE, thus noticeably attracting scholars' attention. The association of brain function with the gut-microbiota-brain axis was frequently reported. Although the occurrence, development, and therapeutic strategies of SAE have been extensively studied, SAE remains a critical factor in determining the long-term prognosis of sepsis and is typically associated with high mortality. This review concentrated on the interaction of SCFAs with microglia in the central nervous system and discussed the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of SCFAs by binding to free fatty acid receptors or acting as histone deacetylase inhibitors. Finally, the prospects of dietary intervention using SCFAs as dietary nutrients in improving the prognosis of SAE were reviewed.

Keywords: dietary intervention; gut-microbiota-brain-axis; microglia; neuroinflammation; sepsis-associated encephalopathy; short-chain fatty acids.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Fatty Acids, Volatile / metabolism
Gastrointestinal Microbiome* / physiology
Humans
Microbiota*
Sepsis* / complications
Sepsis-Associated Encephalopathy* / metabolism

Substances

Fatty Acids, Volatile

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Department of Finance of Jilin Province (Grant No. 2019SCZT053 | Recipient: JZ), the Department of Finance of Jilin Province (Grant No. 2019SCZT022 | Recipient: YY), and the Science and Technology Department of Jilin Province (Grant No. 3D5212814429| Recipient: YY).