Ren Tao, Li Dihao, Sun Feng, Pan Lijia, Wang Ao, Li Xinze, Bao Yuwen, Zhang Meiyu, Zheng Fei, Yue Hao
Jilin Ginseng Academy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130117, P.R. China.
J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2025 Aug 18;35:e2503045. doi: 10.4014/jmb.2503.03045.
Indole propionic acid (IPA) is a functional indole derivative produced exclusively by intestinal flora through tryptophan metabolism. Numerous studies have shown that IPA has a variety of beneficial biological functions, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, immunomodulation, intestinal barrier protection, regulation of intestinal flora composition, and neuroprotection. IPA, as an intestinal microbial metabolite, actively participates in the establishment of intestinal immune homeostasis and positively influences the prevention and control of intestinal diseases, thereby playing an indispensable role in regulating host health. We conducted a comprehensive literature review to explore the synthesis of IPA , the mechanism of action on intestinal immunity, and the promise of its application in the treatment of related diseases. The physiological and biological effects of IPA were investigated to explore its potential application in future drug discovery. Obviously, IPA plays an important role in intestinal immunity and is effective in the treatment of related diseases. IPA helps regulate intestinal immune cell function, inhibiting inflammatory response and enhancing intestinal barrier function through its effects on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, the pregnane X receptor, and other related signaling pathways. The development of IPA as a target drug for the treatment of intestinal diseases is promising. Although IPA research is still in the experimental animal model stage, there is growing interest in the many therapeutic applications of IPA and increasing opportunities to further modify IPA for future clinical applications.
吲哚丙酸（IPA）是一种功能性吲哚衍生物，仅由肠道菌群通过色氨酸代谢产生。大量研究表明，IPA具有多种有益的生物学功能，包括抗炎和抗氧化作用、免疫调节、肠道屏障保护、肠道菌群组成调节以及神经保护。IPA作为一种肠道微生物代谢产物，积极参与肠道免疫稳态的建立，并对肠道疾病的防治产生积极影响，从而在调节宿主健康方面发挥不可或缺的作用。我们进行了全面的文献综述，以探讨IPA的合成、对肠道免疫的作用机制及其在相关疾病治疗中的应用前景。研究了IPA的生理和生物学效应，以探索其在未来药物研发中的潜在应用。显然，IPA在肠道免疫中发挥重要作用，对相关疾病的治疗有效。IPA有助于调节肠道免疫细胞功能，通过其对芳烃受体、孕烷X受体及其他相关信号通路的作用，抑制炎症反应并增强肠道屏障功能。将IPA开发为治疗肠道疾病的靶向药物具有广阔前景。尽管IPA研究仍处于实验动物模型阶段，但人们对IPA的诸多治疗应用兴趣日益浓厚，进一步修饰IPA以用于未来临床应用的机会也越来越多。
