Role of trimethylamine metabolite in colon inflammation reveals toxicity at cellular levels

The data shows the effects of gut bacterial metabolite, TMA, on intestinal epithelial cell lines (HCT116 and HT29) and animal model. TMA causes compromised membrane integrity, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in chronic exposure in cell lines and severe inflammation, and damage to the epithelial lining of mice, shortening the large intestine and strengthening the view that TMA is deleterious and might be the contributing factor in microbiota-induced intestinal diseases.