Abstract
Digestion of dietary fibers by gut bacteria has been shown to stimulate intestinal mineral absorption [e.g., calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+)]. Although it has been suggested that local pH and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations determine divalent cation absorption, the exact molecular mechanisms are still unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effects of SCFAs on intestinal Mg2+ absorption. We show that the butyrate concentration in the colon negatively correlates with serum Mg2+ levels in wildtype mice. Moreover, Na-butyrate significantly inhibited Mg2+ uptake in Caco-2 cells, while Ca2+ uptake was unaffected. Although Na-butyrate significantly lowered total ATP production rate, and resulted in increased phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), inhibition of Mg2+ uptake by butyrate preceded these consequences. Importantly, electrophysiological examinations demonstrated that intracellular butyrate directly reduced the activity of the heteromeric Mg2+ channel complex, transient receptor potential melastatin (TRPM)6/7. Blocking cellular butyrate uptake prevented its inhibitory effect on Mg2+ uptake, demonstrating that butyrate acts intracellularly. Our work identified butyrate as novel regulator of intestinal Mg2+ uptake that works independently from metabolic regulation. This finding further highlights the role of microbial fermentation in the regulation of mineral absorption.