EFFECTS OF SHORT-CHAIN FATTY-ACIDS ON HUMAN RECTOSIGMOID MUCOSAL COLONOCYTE BRUSH-BORDER ENZYMES

Short-chain fatty acids produced by bacterial fermentation of dietary fiber may provide a tonic stimulus to colonocyte differentiation that contributes to the protective effect of fiber against colorectal malig nancy, Since brush-border enzymes are common markers of colonocytic di fferentiation, we compared the effects of equimolar (10 mmol/L) concen trations of the three most common short-chain fatty acids, acetate, bu tyrate, and propionate, on the alkaline phosphatase and dipeptidyl dip eptidase specific activity of human colonic mucosal biopsies obtained from normal volunteers. Only butyrate significantly stimulated alkalin e phosphatase specific activity (50.4% +/- 18.6%, P < .05). Short-chai n fatty acid stimulation of dipeptidyl dipeptidase did not achieve sta tistical significance. Fibers yielding high colonic butyrate levels co uld have different effects on human colonic mucosal differentiation, C opyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Company.