# Cell migration and proliferation capacity of IPEC-J2 cells after short-chain fatty acid exposure

## TL;DR

This study shows that propionate and acetate, types of short-chain fatty acids, help intestinal cells heal faster than butyrate, suggesting they could replace antibiotics in piglets.

## Contribution

The study compares the wound-healing effects of individual short-chain fatty acids on intestinal cells using an optimized assay.

## Key findings

- Propionate was most effective in promoting wound closure in IPEC-J2 cells (p = 0.005).
- Acetate also improved wound healing, though less than propionate (p = 0.037).
- Butyrate had no significant effect on wound closure (p = 0.190).

## Abstract

Novel antimicrobial strategies are necessary to tackle using antibiotics during the suckling and weaning period of piglets, often characterized by E. coli-induced diarrhea. In the last decades, acetate, propionate, and butyrate, all short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), have been proposed as an alternative to antibiotics. SCFAs are instrumental in promoting the proliferation of enterocytes, preserving intestinal integrity, and modulating the microbial community by suppressing the growth of pathogenic bacteria in pigs. The effect of individual SCFAs (proprionate, acetate and butyrate) on the regenerative capacity of intestinal cells was investigated via an optimized wound-healing assay in IPEC-J2 cells, a porcine jejunal epithelial cell line. IPEC-J2 cells proved a good model as they express the free fatty acid receptor 2 (FFAR2), an important SCFA receptor with a high affinity for proprionate. Our study demonstrated that propionate (p = 0.005) and acetate (p = 0.037) were more effective in closing the wound than butyrate (p = 0.190). This holds promise in using SCFA’s per os as an alternative to antibiotics.