{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,30]],"date-time":"2026-10-30T16:41:00Z","timestamp":1793378460334,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,11]],"date-time":"2025-12-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1765411200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100017599","name":"Science and Technology Program of Zhejiang Province","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["WKJ-ZJ-2018"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["WKJ-ZJ-2018"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100017599","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100012175","name":"Zhejiang Traditional Chinese Medicine Administration","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2023ZL266"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023ZL266"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100012175","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100017599","name":"Science and Technology Program of Zhejiang Province","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2022KY497"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2022KY497"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100017599","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic, chronic inflammatory disease of the colon that imposes a significant global public health burden due to its recurrent and refractory nature. The therapeutic effects of butyrate on UC have been documented previously, but its specific mechanisms remain unclear.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study aimed to investigate the effects and potential mechanisms of butyrate in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A UC mouse model was induced utilizing 3% DSS, followed by interventions of 300 mg\/kg, 600 mg\/kg, or 1200 mg\/kg of butyrate. The fecal condition and colonic pathology of the mice were observed, along with measurements of body weight and colon length. The expression of serum inflammatory factors, autophagy-related proteins, and the PI3K\/AKT\/mTOR pathway-related proteins were detected. Additionally, the impact of butyrate on the mouse gut microbial communities was evaluated using 16S rRNA sequencing technology.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>It was demonstrated that butyrate effectively alleviated UC symptoms, including bloody stools, weight loss, and colon shortening. Furthermore, butyrate reduced colonic tissue damage, decreased the expression of TNF-\u03b1, IL-1\u03b2, and IL-6, and significantly upregulated Beclin-1, Atg5, and the LC3II\/I ratio, while reducing P62 expression. Butyrate also decreased the relative expression of p-PI3K\/PI3K, p-Akt\/Akt, and p-mTOR\/mTOR. 16S rRNA sequencing results revealed that butyrate improved the intestinal microbial community structure by inhibiting harmful bacteria and accelerating the growth of beneficial bacteria.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec005\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study suggests that butyrate may alleviate DSS-induced UC in mice by blocking the PI3K\/AKT\/mTOR pathway to facilitating autophagy in intestinal epithelial cells and by modulating the gut microbiota.<\/jats:p>\n                  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