Therapeutic potential of butyrate against heat Stress–Induced intestinal damage, systemic inflammation, and multiple organ Dysfunction: Insights from in vitro and in vivo experiments

Abstract

Global warming is a major risk factor for life-threatening heat stroke (HS). Systemic inflammation plays a key role in the pathophysiology of HS, substantially affecting clinical outcomes. Reduced intestinal blood flow during HS causes ischemia-reperfusion injury, compromising the intestinal barrier and triggering systemic inflammation and organ damage. Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid, plays a multifaceted role in maintaining intestinal health, inhibiting inflammation, and alleviating oxidative stress. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate butyrate's therapeutic potential against HS and explored the mechanisms underlying its protective effects. Male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups: control, control + butyrate, HS, and HS + butyrate. Hemodynamic changes, biochemical parameters, coagulation markers, cytokine levels, polymorphonuclear neutrophil infiltration, and survival rates were analyzed. Additionally, ileal samples (from rats) and LS174T cells were used to investigate the effect of butyrate on intestinal function. Heat stress induced cytotoxicity; reduced transepithelial resistance in intestinal goblet cells; and triggered intestinal inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in HS rats. These rats exhibited systemic inflammation, hypotension, tachycardia, coagulopathy, multiple organ dysfunction, and mortality. Butyrate treatment reduced cytotoxicity and improved transepithelial resistance in LS174T cells. Butyrate also reduced intestinal heat stress, inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis, as well as systemic inflammation in HS rats. Furthermore, butyrate ameliorated hypotension, tachycardia, coagulopathy, and multiple organ dysfunction and increased survival in HS rats. These findings indicate that butyrate is a promising intervention for mitigating heat stress–induced intestinal damage, systemic inflammation, and multiple organ dysfunction.