Intestinal bacteria may reduce the risk of cancer

According to scientists from Babraham Institute, different diets alter the bacterial composition of the intestine. This, in turn, affects the genes and the risk of developing colorectal cancer increases. The scientists have carried out experiments in mice and cell cultures. According to Medical News Today the researchers were interested in what role the short-chain fatty acids play in disease prevention.

The short-chain fatty acids are produced by intestinal bacteria in the digestion of fruits and vegetables. They can enter intestinal cells and affect them. In the experiments, the researchers used antibiotics to reduce the number of bacteria in the intestines of mice. Then the scientists studied the feces samples and intestinal epithelia cells of the rodents.

Also, the scientists added the short chain fatty acids into human colon cancer cells. The researchers have found that these acids contributed to crotonylation - proteins modification, because of which the genes can "switch on" and "switch off".

Crotonylation was activated by inhibition of HDAC2 protein. Previous studies have shown that a high level of HDAC2 is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Mice with less intestinal bacteria had more HDAC2. The scientists concluded that crotonylation management by a diet (the diet with fruits and vegetables) is an effective means of preventing colorectal cancer.

Source: Medical News Today.