Fecal microbiota transplantation protects renal ischemia reperfusion injury through propanoic acid

Renal ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) is a pathophysiological phenomenon in which renal ischemic tissues regain their blood supply and tissue damage is aggravated. Renal IRI is a common pathophysiological basis for renal transplantation, partial nephrectomy, and complex cardiovascular surgery, and is an important cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is the transplantation of functional fecal flora into the gut to rebuild a new gut for the treatment of intestinal and extra-intestinal diseases.. Recently, the relationship between the gut and the kidneys has been revealed. Therefore, we performed FMT using guinea pig feces and evaluated the protective effect of this treatment against AKI. This protection was associated with inflammation and apoptosis. There was also evidence that the production of propionic acid could be the result of FMT, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects, which may be exerted through the GPR43 receptor. Therefore, the alteration of gut microbes after FMT, which in turn leads to an increase in its product propionic acid, has a protective effect on AKI by modulating inflammation as well as apoptosis.1