Vitamin-Microbiota Crosstalk in Intestinal Inflammation and Carcinogenesis

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) are common diseases of the digestive system. Vitamin deficiencies and gut microbiota dysbiosis have a close relationship with the risk, development, and progression of IBD and CAC. There is a strong link between vitamins and the gut microbiome. Vitamins are extremely crucial for maintaining a healthy gut microbiota, promoting growth and development, metabolism, and innate immunity. Gut microbiota can not only influence the transport process of vitamins, but also produce vitamins to compensate for insufficient food intake. Emerging evidence suggests that oral vitamin supplementation can reduce inflammation levels and improve disease prognosis. In addition, improving the diet structure and consuming foods rich in vitamins not only help to improve the vitamin deficiency, but also help to reduce the risk of IBD. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and the application of vitamin-producing probiotics can better assist in the treatment of intestinal diseases. In this review, we discuss the interaction and therapeutic roles of vitamins and gut microbiota in IBD and CAC. We also summarize the methods of treating IBD and CAC by modulating vitamins. This may highlight strategies to target gut-microbiota-dependent alterations in vitamin metabolism in the context of IBD and CAC therapy.

Keywords: CAC; IBD; microbiome; therapy; vitamins.

Figure 1

Intestinal absorption of vitamins and the mechanism of action of vitamins in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). The up and down arrows in Figure 1 represent increase and decrease, respectively. DC represent dendritic cell, which is the most functional professional antigen-presenting cells in the body. RA stands for retinoic acid.

Figure 2

The interaction mechanism of vitamins and gut microbiota in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). Fecal microbiota transplantation, FMT, is defined as the transplantation of functional flora in the feces of healthy people into the gastrointestinal tract of patients to rebuild new intestinal flora and achieve the treatment of intestinal and extra-intestinal diseases.