Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33617852›Full record

ArticleExperimental eye research2021

Short chain fatty acids inhibit endotoxin-induced uveitis and inflammatory responses of retinal astrocytes.

Nu Chen, Jun Wu, Jingrui Wang, Niloofar Piri, Feilan Chen, Tong Xiao, Yuan Zhao, Deming Sun, Henry J Kaplan, Hui Shao

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Experimental eye research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 46 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
46citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

46 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 57 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Short-Chain Fatty Acids and the Gut-Retina Connection: A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Pooled it
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  17. ProbioticAntioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Article
  18. Nutrients · 2025
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Nu ChenDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kentucky Lions Eye Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin, PR China.
Jun WuDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kentucky Lions Eye Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China.
Jingrui WangDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kentucky Lions Eye Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
Niloofar PiriDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kentucky Lions Eye Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
Feilan ChenDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kentucky Lions Eye Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
Tong XiaoDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kentucky Lions Eye Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
Yuan ZhaoDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Huntsville, TX, USA.
Deming SunDoheny Eye Institute & Department. Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine/UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Henry J KaplanDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kentucky Lions Eye Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
Hui ShaoDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kentucky Lions Eye Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA. Electronic address: h0shao01@louisville.edu.
University of Louisville · USDoheny Eye Institute · USSam Houston State University · USUnion Hospital · CN

Funding

The danger signals in autoimmune uveitisR01EY024051 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE · PI SHAO, HUI · 2015 to 2018
$1.5M
NEI NIH HHS R01 EY024051
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are produced by gut microbiota as fermentation products of digestion-resistant oligosaccharides and fibers. Their primary roles are functioning as major energy sources for colon cells and assisting in gut homeostasis by immunomodulation. Recent evidence suggests that they affect various organs both at cellular and molecular levels, and regulate functions in distance sites including gene expression, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, apoptosis and inflammation. In this study, we examined whether SCFAs are present in the mouse eye and whether SCFAs affect inflammatory responses of the eye and retinal astrocytes (RACs). We observed that intra-peritoneal injected SCFAs were detected in the eye and reduced intraocular inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Moreover, SCFAs displayed two disparate effects on LPS-stimulated RACs - namely, cytokine and chemokine production was reduced, but the ability to activate T cells was enhanced. Our results support the existence of gut-eye cross talk and suggest that SCFAs can cross the blood-eye-barrier via the systemic circulation. If applied at high concentrations, SCFAs may reduce inflammation and impact cellular functions in the intraocular milieu.

Indexed as

AnimalsAstrocytesCell ProliferationDisease Models, AnimalEndotoxinsFatty Acids, VolatileFemaleInflammationMiceMice, Inbred C57BLRetinal Ganglion CellsUveitisEndotoxinsFatty Acids, VolatileCytokinesDanger signalsIntraocular inflammationRetinal astrocytesShort chain fatty acidsT cell activation

Identifiers

PMID33617852
PMCPMC8489808
OpenAlexW3129514418

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.