Research Advances in the Mechanism of Short-chain Fatty Acids in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of conditions caused by the progressive loss of the function or structure of neurons in the central nervous system. Although the physical or mental symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases can be alleviated by combined therapy, there is no strategy to directly slow down or prevent neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies on the microbiota-gut-brain axis have found that gut microbiota and their metabolites play an important role in the occurrence and development of nervous system diseases. As the main metabolites of gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) , are the key transmitter involved in gut-brain communication and have neuroprotective effect on neurodegenerative diseases, but the specific mechanism is not clear. This article mainly reviews the mechanism of SCFAs in neurodegenerative diseases. It is concluded that improving the level of SCFAs in vivo by changing dietary habits via increasing dietary fiber intake and supplementing probiotics and exogenous SCFAs, may become a new safe and effective target for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, which may provide guidance for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Keywords

• neurodegenerative diseases|short-chain fatty acids|oxidative stress|mitochondrial function|neuroinflammation|microglia