Bui Tram N Y, Paul Ayamita, Guleria Shalini, O'Sullivan Justin M, Toldi Gergely
Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Pediatr Res. 2025 Apr 30. doi: 10.1038/s41390-025-04075-0.
Infancy is a vulnerable and critical phase in the acquisition of the gut microbiome and the establishment of immune function. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as acetate, propionate and butyrate, are compounds mostly produced by the microbiome through various metabolic pathways and play an indispensable role in connecting the microbiome and the adaptive immune system. This review aims to summarise recent findings regarding the intricate relationship between SCFAs, the gut microbiome, and T lymphocytes with a focus on early life interactions. The paper discusses factors affecting the establishment of the neonatal microbiome, especially human milk versus formula milk, and how these influence SCFA concentrations in feces, which in turn directly impact T cell development and function. Despite recent advances in understanding the role of gut microbiome derived SCFAs in adults, a significant knowledge gap remains in translating these findings to neonates and exploring the utility of SCFAs as a potential therapeutic intervention in inflammatory complications of preterm and term neonates. IMPACT: This review highlights potential therapeutic applications of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in neonatal care, particularly in preventing and treating inflammatory conditions. This could lead to new treatment strategies for conditions like NEC and other immune-mediated disorders in neonates. By identifying significant knowledge gaps in neonatal SCFA research, this review helps future investigations toward understanding SCFA mechanisms specifically in neonates, potentially leading to age-appropriate therapeutic interventions. Understanding the relationship between early-life factors (such as feeding methods and microbiome development) and immune system development through SCFAs could inform public health policies and recommendations for infant nutrition and care practices.
婴儿期是获取肠道微生物群和建立免疫功能的脆弱而关键的阶段。短链脂肪酸（SCFAs），如乙酸盐、丙酸盐和丁酸盐，是微生物群通过各种代谢途径产生的化合物，在连接微生物群和适应性免疫系统方面发挥着不可或缺的作用。本综述旨在总结关于短链脂肪酸、肠道微生物群和T淋巴细胞之间复杂关系的最新发现，重点关注生命早期的相互作用。本文讨论了影响新生儿微生物群建立的因素，特别是母乳与配方奶，以及这些因素如何影响粪便中短链脂肪酸的浓度，进而直接影响T细胞的发育和功能。尽管最近在理解肠道微生物群衍生的短链脂肪酸在成人中的作用方面取得了进展，但在将这些发现转化为新生儿研究以及探索短链脂肪酸作为早产和足月新生儿炎症并发症潜在治疗干预措施的效用方面，仍存在重大知识空白。影响：本综述强调了短链脂肪酸（SCFAs）在新生儿护理中的潜在治疗应用，特别是在预防和治疗炎症性疾病方面。这可能会为新生儿坏死性小肠结肠炎和其他免疫介导疾病等病症带来新的治疗策略。通过识别新生儿短链脂肪酸研究中的重大知识空白，本综述有助于未来针对新生儿中短链脂肪酸具体机制的研究，可能会带来适合该年龄段的治疗干预措施。通过短链脂肪酸了解生命早期因素（如喂养方式和微生物群发育）与免疫系统发育之间的关系，可为婴儿营养和护理实践的公共卫生政策和建议提供参考。
