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Butyrate maintains anaerobic conditions in the colon by activating PPARγ and repressing inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), which prevents the proliferation of pathogenic facultative anaerobes like Enterobacteriaceae.

Maintain a healthy gut barrier by ensuring adequate butyrate production. Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid produced by bacteria from fiber, activates PPARγ in colon cells to limit oxygen diffusion and repress inflammatory enzymes (iNOS). This creates an anaerobic environment that suppresses pathogenic bacteria like Enterobacteriaceae. Prioritize dietary fibers that promote butyrate production, such as resistant starches.

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Butyrate contributes to control of the anaerobic condition in the colon by activating the β-oxidation in the mitochondria. By activating the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator- activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) in the colonic cells, butyrate limits the diffusion of oxygen from the colonocytes to the luminal part... The activation of PPARγ also represses the expression of the gene encoding inducible nitric oxide synthase, thereby reducing NO production and ultimately luminal nitrate levels that are specific energy sources used for the proliferation of putative pathogenic facultative anaerobes
Willem M. de Vos et al. · Gut · 2022

Why this rating

Supported by experimental studies and mouse models described in the review.

Source

Gut microbiome and health: mechanistic insights

Willem M. de Vos et al. · Gut · 2022

DOI 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-326789

narrative_reviewCited 2,263×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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