Gut microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids promote prostate cancer progression via inducing cancer cell autophagy and M2 macrophage polarization

We have previously demonstrated abnormal gut microbial composition in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients, here we revealed the mechanism of gut microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) as a mediator linking CRPC microbiota dysbiosis and prostate cancer (PCa) progression. By using transgenic TRAMP mouse model, PCa patient samples, in vitro PCa cell transwell and macrophage recruitment assays, we examined the effects of CRPC fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and SCFAs on PCa progression. Our results showed that FMT with CRPC patients’ fecal suspension increased SCFAs-producing gut microbiotas such as Ruminococcus, Alistipes, Phascolarctobaterium in TRAMP mice, and correspondingly raised their gut SCFAs (acetate and butyrate) levels. CRPC FMT or SCFAs supplementation significantly accelerated mice's PCa progression. In vitro, SCFAs enhanced PCa cells migration and invasion by inducing TLR3-triggered autophagy that further activated NF-κB and MAPK signalings. Meanwhile, autophagy of PCa cells released higher level of chemokine CCL20 that could reprogramme the tumor microenvironment by recruiting more macrophage infiltration and simultaneously polarizing them into M2 type, which in turn further strengthened PCa cells invasiveness. Finally in a cohort of 362 PCa patients, we demonstrated that CCL20 expression in prostate tissue was positively correlated with Gleason grade, pre-operative PSA, neural/seminal vesical invasion, and was negatively correlated with post-operative biochemical recurrence-free survival. Collectively, CRPC gut microbiota-derived SCFAs promoted PCa progression via inducing cancer cell autophagy and M2 macrophage polarization. CCL20 could become a biomarker for prediction of prognosis in PCa patients. Intervention of SCFAs-producing microbiotas may be a useful strategy in manipulation of CRPC.