Objective: Based on the possible role of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) on the permeability of the blood-brain barrier and its change in Parkinson disease (PD), we planned to study blood concentration of SCFAs in PD.

Background: Recent studies suggest the formation of alpha-synuclein aggregation in the enteric nervous system as an earlier change leading to pathologic devastation of the brain in PD. Under this hypothesis, the contribution of gut microbiota to the pathogenesis of PD has been highlighted. SCFAs are exclusively produced by gut microbiota and were reported to be reduced in the feces of PD patients. The loss of SCFA’s beneficial role in the inflammatory reaction and tight junction maintenance may render detrimental effect on the local environment of the intestine. However, the change of SCFA in the blood, which is originated from the gut microbiota, in PD patients has not been studied.

Method: We measured SCFA concentration of peripheral blood using gas chromatography in 38 PD patients and 33 normal controls. The measurement was made in the absence of medications such as antibiotics and pre- and pro-biotics. We evaluated clinical characteristics of PD patients and controls, and obtained dietary information using the food frequency questionnaire.

Results: The concentrations of acetate, propionate, and butyrate were not different between PD patients and controls (Table 1). Dietary uptakes of fibers, carbohydrates, lipids (total and fatty acids), and proteins were not different in the food frequency questionnaire. The concentration of propionate was negatively correlated with use of entacapone (r=-0.325, p=0.047), and butyrate was correlated with use of mono-amine oxidase inhibitors (r=0.382, p=0.018) and anticholinergics (r=-0.365, p=0.024).

Conclusion: These results are against the pathologic change of SCFAs in PD. Although SCFAs produced by gut microbiota can affect both local (intestinal wall) and systemic (blood stream) milieu, the alteration in the local environment may be more important in PD.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/concentration-of-short-chain-fatty-acids-in-the-peripheral-blood-of-patients-with-parkinson-disease/