Title:Potential Therapeutic Effects of Short-Chain Fatty Acids on Chronic Pain
Volume: 22
Issue: 2
Author(s): Yuanyuan Tang, Juan Du, Hongfeng Wu, Mengyao Wang, Sufang Liu*Feng Tao*
Affiliation:
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Dentistry, Texas
A&M University Dallas, Texas, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Dentistry, Texas
A&M University Dallas, Texas, USA
Keywords:
Short-chain fatty acids, chronic pain, gut microbiome, metabolites, gut-brain communication, intestinal diseases.
Abstract: The intestinal homeostasis maintained by the gut microbiome and relevant metabolites is
essential for health, and its disturbance leads to various intestinal or extraintestinal diseases. Recent
studies suggest that gut microbiome-derived metabolites short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are involved in
different neurological disorders (such as chronic pain). SCFAs are produced by bacterial fermentation of
dietary fibers in the gut and contribute to multiple host processes, including gastrointestinal regulation,
cardiovascular modulation, and neuroendocrine-immune homeostasis. Although SCFAs have been
implicated in the modulation of chronic pain, the detailed mechanisms that underlie such roles of SCFAs
remain to be further investigated. In this review, we summarize currently available research data
regarding SCFAs as a potential therapeutic target for chronic pain treatment and discuss several
possible mechanisms by which SCFAs modulate chronic pain.