Effects of short-chain fatty acid-butyrate supplementation on expression of circadian-clock genes, sleep quality, and inflammation in patients with active ulcerative colitis: a double-blind randomized controlled trial

• Published in: Lipids in health and disease 2024-07, Vol.23 (1), p.216-14, Article 216
• Main Authors: Firoozi, Donya, Masoumi, Seyed Jalil, Mohammad-Kazem Hosseini Asl, Seyed, Labbe, Aurélie, Razeghian-Jahromi, Iman, Fararouei, Mohammad, Lankarani, Kamran Bagheri, Dara, Mahintaj
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Butyrate; Butyrates; Butyric Acid; C-Reactive Protein - genetics; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Care and treatment; Circadian Clocks - drug effects; Circadian Clocks - genetics; Circadian rhythms; Circadian-clock genes; Colitis, Ulcerative - drug therapy; Colitis, Ulcerative - genetics; Colitis, Ulcerative - metabolism; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Fatty acids; Female; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Genetic aspects; Health aspects; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammation - drug therapy; Inflammation - genetics; Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex - genetics; Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex - metabolism; Male; Middle Aged; Quality of Life; Short-chain fatty acids; Sleep; Sleep disorders; Sleep Quality; Testing; Ulcerative colitis
• ISSN: 1476-511X; 1476-511X
• DOI: 10.1186/s12944-024-02203-z

The regulation of the circadian clock genes, which coordinate the activity of the immune system, is disturbed in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Emerging evidence suggests that butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid produced by the gut microbiota is involved in the regulation of inflammatory responses as well as circadian-clock genes. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of sodium-butyrate supplementation on the expression of circadian-clock genes, inflammation, sleep and life quality in active ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. In the current randomized placebo-controlled trial, 36 active UC patients were randomly divided to receive sodium-butyrate (600 mg/kg) or placebo for 12-weeks. In this study the expression of circadian clock genes (CRY1, CRY2, PER1, PER2, BMAl1 and CLOCK) were assessed by real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in whole blood. Gene expression changes were presented as fold changes in expression (2^-ΔΔCT) relative to the baseline. The faecal calprotectin and serum level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method (ELIZA). Moreover, the sleep quality and IBD quality of life (QoL) were assessed by Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire-9 (IBDQ-9) respectively before and after the intervention. The results showed that sodium-butyrate supplementation in comparison with placebo significantly decreased the level of calprotectin (-133.82 ± 155.62 vs. 51.58 ± 95.57, P-value