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Gut microbiome production of short-chain fatty acids and obesity in children

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Abstract

Obesity has been a worldwide multifactorial epidemic malady for the last 2 decades. Changes in gut microbiota composition and its metabolites — short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) — have been associated with obesity. Recent evidence suggests that SCFAs made by the gut microbiota may regulate directly or indirectly physiological and pathological processes in relation to obesity. We review the influence of gut microbiota in energy, glucose, and lipid homeostasis control via their metabolites. Gut microbial disturbances in obese children may have a role in their metabolism. At first glance, excessive short-chain fatty acids produced by a particular gut microbiota represent an additional energy source, and should cause an imbalance in energy regulation, contributing to obesity. However, simultaneously, SCFA participates in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from the pancreatic β-cells through interaction with the FFA2 and FFA3 receptors, and release of peptide hormones which control appetite. This apparent contradictory situation may indicate the involvement of additional particular bacteria or bacterial components or metabolites that may trigger regulatory cascades by interaction with some G-protein-coupled membrane receptors.

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Funding

Cinvestav-IPN, Fundación Miguel Alemán A. C., CONACyT 163235 INFR-2011-01, and FONSEC SS/IMSS/ISSSTE-CONACYT-233361 grants to JGM supported this work. We thank a Postdoctoral Fellowship from FONSEC SS/IMSS/ISSSTE-CONACYT-233361 to SM, a M. Sc. Fellowship CONACyT394921 to DRS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Unidad Zacatenco, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, 07360, Ciudad de México, Mexico

    Selvasankar Murugesan, Khemlal Nirmalkar, Daniela Ramírez-Sánchez & Jaime García-Mena

  2. Departamento de Farmacología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Unidad Zacatenco, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, 07360, Ciudad de México, Mexico

    Khemlal Nirmalkar & Carlos Hoyo-Vadillo

  3. Escuela Nacional de Medicina y Homeopatía del IPN, Guillermo Massieu Helguera 239, 07320, México DF, Mexico

    Matilde García-Espitia

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  1. Selvasankar Murugesan
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  2. Khemlal Nirmalkar
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  3. Carlos Hoyo-Vadillo
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  4. Matilde García-Espitia
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  5. Daniela Ramírez-Sánchez
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  6. Jaime García-Mena
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Correspondence to Jaime García-Mena.

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Murugesan, S., Nirmalkar, K., Hoyo-Vadillo, C. et al. Gut microbiome production of short-chain fatty acids and obesity in children. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 37, 621–625 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-017-3143-0

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