Therapeutic potential of short-chain fatty acids for acute lung injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical animal studies

Liying Xie; Linyan Wang; Yongxin Liao; Miaoen Yao; Tong Mai; Rongrong Fan; Yun Han; Gengbiao Zhou

doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1528200

Therapeutic potential of short-chain fatty acids for acute lung injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical animal studies

Front Nutr. 2025 Jan 8:11:1528200. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1528200. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Liying Xie¹, Linyan Wang¹, Yongxin Liao¹, Miaoen Yao^{1

2

3}, Tong Mai¹, Rongrong Fan^{1

2

3}, Yun Han^{1

2

3}, Gengbiao Zhou^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
² Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
³ The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.

Abstract

Background: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), derived from the fermentation of dietary fiber by intestinal commensal bacteria, have demonstrated protective effects against acute lung injury (ALI) in animal models. However, the findings have shown variability across different studies. It is necessary to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy of these treatments and their consistency.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to explore the effects of SCFAs on ALI based on preclinical research evidence, in order to provide new treatment strategies for ALI.

Methods: We included studies that tested the effects of SCFAs on ALI in animal models. This study was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A comprehensive search for relevant studies was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases up to February 2024. The data were extracted in accordance with the established selection criteria, and the risk of bias was evaluated for each study.

Results: A total of 16 articles were finally included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated that the SCFAs significantly reduced lung wet-to-dry weight (SMD = -2.75, 95% CI = -3.46 to -2.03, p < 0.00001), lung injury scores (SMD = -5.07, 95% CI = -6.25 to -3.89, p < 0.00001), myeloperoxidase (SMD = -3.37, 95% CI = -4.05 to -2.70, p < 0.00001), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (SMD = -3.31, 95% CI = -4.45 to -2.16, p < 0.00001) and malondialdehyde (SMD = -3.91, 95% CI = -5.37 to -2.44, p < 0.00001) levels in animal models of ALI. The results of the subgroup analysis indicated that the efficacy of SCFAs varies significantly with dosage and duration of treatment.

Conclusion: SCFAs can reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in animal models of ALI. The clinical efficacy of SCFAs for ALI deserves further in-depth research.

Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=584008, CRD42024584008.

Keywords: acute lung injury; meta-analysis; preclinical evidence; short-chain fatty acids; the gut-lung axis.

Publication types

Systematic Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 82104610, 81974538), Guangdong Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. 20232041), Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine (Nos. ZY2022YL30, YN2023MS30).