A gut butyrate‑producing bacterium <em>Butyricicoccus&nbsp;pullicaecorum</em> regulates short‑chain fatty acid transporter and receptor to reduce the progression of 1,2‑dimethylhydrazine‑associated colorectal cancer
Shih-Chang Chang, Ming‐Hung Shen, Chih‐Yi Liu, Chi‐Ming Pu, Je‐Ming Hu, Chi‐Jung Huang
Abstract
Gut microbes influence tumor development and progression in the intestines and may provide a novel paradigm for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). Gut dysbiosis may be associated with the development and progression of CRC. Identifying the interactions between the colonic tract and gut microbiota may provide novel information relevant to CRC prevention. The present study examined the effects of butyrate‑producing <em>Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum (B. pullicaecorum)</em> on mice with 1,2‑dimethylhydrazine (DMH)‑induced CRC and the microbial metabolite of <em>B. pullicaecorum</em> on CRC cells. Immunohistochemical staining of the mouse colon tissues and reverse transcription PCR of CRC cells were used to determine the protein and mRNA expression levels of the short‑chain fatty acid (SCFA) transporter solute carrier family 5 member 8 (SLC5A8) and G‑protein‑coupled receptor 43 (GPR43). In CRC‑bearing mice fed <em>B. pullicaecorum</em>, DMH‑induced CRC regressed, body weight increased and serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels decreased. Notably, SLC5A8 and GPR43 were diffusely and moderately to strongly expressed in the neoplastic epithelial cells and underlying muscularis propria in the colons of the mice. In conclusion, administration of <em>B. pullicaecorum</em> or its metabolites improved the clinical outcome of CRC by activating the SCFA transporter and/or receptor. These results indicated that <em>B. pullicaecorum</em> was a probiotic with anti‑CRC potential.