Abstract
The molecular pathways involved in regulation of intestinal epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation have not been characterized to the extent that analogous pathways have been defined for many other cell types, especially those in the hematopoietic lineages. Much of the published work on intestinal cells has focused on regulation by polypeptide growth factors and extracellular matrix proteins while relatively less attention has been given to the contributions of luminal factors to growth and differentiation. Notwithstanding, luminal fluid in the colon contains a number of putative growth regulators. Foremost among these is the four carbon short chain fatty acid (SCFA) butyrate. Herein, we will review selected aspects of the cell physiology and biology of butyrate. Emphasis will be given to studies in epithelial systems, although a larger body of work has been conducted in cells of hematopoietic origin. We will also emphasize our own studies using the HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma cell line as a model for study of early cellular and molecular events associated with butyrate-mediated growth and differentiation.
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Barnard, J.A., Delzell, J.A., Bulus, N.M. (1997). Short Chain Fatty Acid Regulation of Intestinal Gene Expression. In: Dietary Fat and Cancer. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 422. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2670-1_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2670-1_11
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