Short-chain Fatty Acids Reduce Inflammation in the Lungs of Older Mice

Rockville, Md. (May 17, 2023)—The gut microbial community structure—communities of bacteria, viruses and fungi that live in the intestines—influences the inflammatory response in the lungs of aging mice, according to researchers from the Institute of Functional Anatomy at Charité, the Medical University of Berlin in Germany. The study is published in the American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology and has been chosen as an APSselect article for May.

“The findings emphasize the importance of the intestinal microbiome and its metabolic function
in healthy aging.”—Christina Brandenberger, PhD

Inflammation leads to reduced lung function and disease in older adults. It also worsens their prognosis in cases of pneumonia and acute lung injury. However, the source of the inflammation and potential treatments are not fully understood.

In this study, researchers analyzed the gut microbiome and its impact on inflammatory signaling in aging lungs. Then, scientists tested the effects of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)—beneficial metabolites of the gut microbiome—in mice ages three to 18 months. The animals drank either water mixed with SCFAs or water only. The researchers discovered that inflamm-aging (chronic, low-grade inflammation that develops during aging) in the lungs of healthy, old mice was reduced when they were supplemented with SCFAs. The research team also found an improvement in pulmonary inflammation severity in older mice with acute lung injury.

“This study provides new evidence that SCFAs play a beneficial role in the gut-lung axis of the aging organism by reducing pulmonary inflamm-aging and ameliorating enhanced severity of acute lung injury in older mice,” this study’s authors wrote. The researchers said these findings could help improve human health as it relates to pulmonary aging by focusing on gut bacteria.

Read the full article, “Short-chain fatty acids improve inflamm-aging and acute lung injury in old mice.” It is highlighted as one of this month’s “best of the best” as part of the American Physiological Society’s APSselect program. Read all of this month’s selected research articles.

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: To schedule an interview with a member of the research team, please contact APS Media Relations or call 301.634.7314. Find more research highlights in our Newsroom.

Physiology is a broad area of scientific inquiry that focuses on how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in health and disease. The American Physiological Society connects a global, multidisciplinary community of more than 10,000 biomedical scientists and educators as part of its mission to advance scientific discovery, understand life and improve health. The Society drives collaboration and spotlights scientific discoveries through its 16 scholarly journals and programming that support researchers and educators in their work.