Fig. 5

Mechanisms by which SCFAs alleviate vascular calcification. In patients experiencing vascular calcification, there is a tendency for the intestinal microbiota to experience homeostatic imbalance, characterized by decreased SCFA production, elevated LPS content, compromised mucosal barrier integrity, and intestinal “leakage”. This phenomenon can initiate a systemic inflammatory response and, in turn, worsen vascular calcification. And SCFAs may attenuate the occurrence of CKD complicated by vascular calcification by reducing these homeostatic imbalances