Disrupted Diurnal Oscillation of Gut-Derived Short Chain Fatty Acids in Shift Workers Drinking Alcohol: Possible Mechanism for Loss of Resiliency of Intestinal Barrier in Disrupted Circadian Host

Microbiota derived short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are produced by fermentation of non-digestible fiber, and are a key component in intestinal barrier homeostasis. Since the microbiome has diurnal fluctuations, we hypothesized that SCFAs in humans have a diurnal rhythm and their rhythmicity would be impacted by the host central circadian misalignment (night shift work) which would make intestinal barrier more susceptible to disruption by alcohol. To test this hypothesis, we studied three groups of subjects: patients with alcohol use disorder, but no liver disease (AD), healthy day workers (DW), and night workers (NW).
Source: Translational Research - Category: Research Authors: Source Type: research