Abstract
Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are found in the intestine at high concentrations. In addition to acting as local substrates for energy production to promote cell growth, reduce environmental pH value in the colon, and reduce the growth of harmful bacteria, SCFAs can also regulate host physiology and immunity, suppress colon neoplasm cell proliferation by inducing their apoptosis and differentiation, and affect proto-oncogene expression. In this review, we discuss how SCFAs interact with G protein-coupled receptors to inhibit histone deacetyltransferase and thereby cause response of neutrophils and regulatory T cells to regulate intestinal immune responses and host physiological function. SCFAs can strengthen the epithelial barrier, suppress colon neoplasm cell proliferation, and be used to treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and obesity.