Impaired function of the intestinal barrier in a novel sub-health rat model

A self-powered intelligent integrated sensing system for sports skill monitoring

The use of green intelligent sensing systems which are based on triboelectric nanogenerators have sparked a surge of research in recent years. The development has made significant contributions to the field of promoting human health. However, the integration of an intelligent sensing system with multi-directional triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) remains challenges in the field of motion monitoring. To solve this research issue, this study designed a self-powered multifunctional fitness blanket (SF-MFB) which incorporates four TENGs, features multi-sensors and wireless motion monitoring capabilities. It presents a self-powered integrated sensing system which utilizes four TENG sensing units to monitor human motion. Each TENG sensing unit collects the mechanical energy generated during motion. The system is composed of SF-MFB, Bluetooth transmission terminal, and upper computer analysis terminal. Its main purpose is to wirelessly monitor and diagnose human sports skills and enables real-time human-computer interaction. The TENG integrated self-powered sensing system demonstrates practicality in sports skills monitoring, diagnosis, human-computer interaction and entertainment. This research introduces a novel approach for the application of TENG self-powered intelligent integrated sensing system in health promotion.

Regulatory effects of Auricularia cornea var. Li. polysaccharides on immune system and gut microbiota in cyclophosphamide-induced mice

The immuno-regulating potential of edible fungus polysaccharides has gained more and more attention. However, there is little information about the study of Auricularia cornea var. Li. polysaccharides regulating immunomodulatory activity. The objective of this work to analyze the immunomodulatory activity and the mechanism of A. cornea var. Li. polysaccharides supplementation in an immunosuppressed mice model induced by cyclophosphamide. The effects of A. cornea var. Li. polysaccharides on immune system including immune organ indices, immunoglobulin contents, and inflammation cytokines in immunosuppressed mice were determined. In addition, the regulatory effects of A. cornea var. Li. polysaccharides on the gut microbiota and their metabolites were analyzed. Results showed that A. cornea var. Li. polysaccharides significantly elevated immune organ indexes, remarkably enhanced the levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgG and IgM in serum and secretory IgA (sIgA) in the intestinal mucosa, conspicuously stimulated the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, and IL-10 in the serum. A. cornea var. Li. polysaccharides also could restore gut microbiota to the pattern that is similar with that of the control group with increase of the relative abundances of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing bacteria. Furthermore, the content of SCFAs were increased after A. cornea var. Li. polysaccharides supplementation. This study provides useful information for applications of A. cornea var. Li. polysaccharides in immune-regulated foods and medicine.

Colour Preference and Healing in Digital Roaming Landscape: A Case Study of Mental Subhealth Populations

From the perspective of emotional preference, studies have been conducted about landscape healing for subhealth people in the National High-Tech Zone (the study area). Combined with a preliminary practice investigation, Unity 2019 was used to make a digital roaming landscape, and 91 subjects with a history of mental subhealth diseases were randomly invited to participate in the immersive experimentation of the Human-Machine Environment Synchronisation (ErgoLAB) platform. After the experiment, the subjects were invited to fill in a Likert scale as the control group. The interest preference, emotion fluctuation, and healing effect of landscape colour were verified. The results show that: (1) The variation trend of interest reflected the concentration of interest in landscape, and the order of degree of interest, ranging from high to low, went Green > Yellow > Blue > Red > Orange > Purple > Cyan. (2) The subjects' interest in landscape colour was correlated with the arousal of positive emotions. The correlation between interest in landscape colour and positive emotions, from high to low, went Blue > Green > Yellow, while the correlation between red, cyan, orange, and purple was not significant. (3) The mean skin conductance (SC) fluctuation variance of subjects was 5.594%, which confirmed that the healing effect of digital roaming landscape scenes was significant under the state of low arousal. According to the Likert scale data, subjects' scores of the healing effect of landscapes, from high to low, went as follows: Green > Yellow > Red > Blue > Cyan > Orange > Purple. The results provide a new method for demonstrating the logical relationship between the digital landscape interest experience-emotional awakening-healing effect and providing a theoretical method and construction scheme for landscape colour configuration in the implementation of landscape healing projects.

Intestinal toxicity of micro- and nano-particles of foodborne titanium dioxide in juvenile mice: Disorders of gut microbiota-host co-metabolites and intestinal barrier damage

The wide use of TiO₂ particles in food and the high exposure risk to children have prompted research into the health risks of TiO₂. We used the microbiome and targeted metabolomics to explore the potential mechanism of intestinal toxicity of foodborne TiO₂ micro-/nanoparticles after oral exposure for 28 days in juvenile mice. Results showed that the gut microbiota-including the abundance of Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Prevotella-changed dynamically during exposure. The organic inflammatory response was activated, and lipopolysaccharide levels increased. Intestinal toxicity manifested as increased mucosal permeability, impaired intestinal barrier, immune damage, and pathological changes. The expression of antimicrobial peptides, occludin, and ZO-1 significantly reduced, while that of JNK2 and Src/pSrc increased. Compared with micro-TiO₂ particles, the nano-TiO₂ particles had strong toxicity. Fecal microbiota transplant confirmed the key role of gut microbiota in intestinal toxicity. The levels of gut microbiota-host co-metabolites, including pyroglutamic acid, L-glutamic acid, phenylacetic acid, and 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, changed significantly. Significant changes were observed in the glutathione and propanoate metabolic pathways. There was a significant correlation between the changes in gut microbiota, metabolites, and intestinal cytokine levels. These, together with the intestinal barrier damage signaling pathway, constitute the network mechanism of the intestinal toxicity of TiO₂ particles.

The Effects of Freshwater Clam (Corbicula fluminea) Extract on Serum Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) in Prediabetic Patients in Taiwan

Freshwater clam extract (FCE) is a functional food that regulates the immune system and has been demonstrated in numerous studies to display desirable anti–tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) responses. In addition, excess TNF-α production is positively associated with type 2 diabetes. However, few longitudinal clinical studies evaluating the efficiency and toxicity of FCE are available. This article reports that patients with prediabetes who received FCE had a desirable outcome of a reduction in serum TNF-α for a long period. This was a double-blind, randomized, parallel clinical trial conducted using FCE intervention and placebo groups, and 36 patients with prediabetes were enrolled. Two grams of FCE or placebo was consumed daily for 180 consecutive days. The serum of the participants was collected at four time points (0M: before the intervention; 3M: after 3 months of intervention; 6M: after 6 months of intervention; 12M: 6 months after cessation of intervention at 6M). A serum TNF-α concentration higher than 4.05 pg/mL was defined as a cut-off value. FCE reduced serum TNF-α in all participants at 6M and 12M. Moreover, FCE significantly suppressed serum TNF-α concentrations at 6M and 12M and inhibited TNF-α release with time series in subjects with elevated TNF-α values. FCE intervention effectively reduced serum TNF-α and persistently sustained the effects for half a year in patients with prediabetes. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GS-MS) analysis revealed that the major components of FCE were phytosterols and fatty acids, which exerted anti-inflammatory and anti-TNF-α abilities. Hence, FCE has the potential to be developed as a natural treatment for prediabetic patients in Taiwan.

Association Between Passive Smoking and Health Among Chinese Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to investigate the association between passive smoking and physical and psychological health in Chinese nurses. Participants of this cross-sectional study comprised 2,484 non-smoking nurses. Passive smoking and demographic information were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Physical, psychological, and overall health status of nurses were measured using the Cornell Medical Index (CMI) health questionnaire. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for nurses' health were estimated by exposure to passive smoking using unconditional logistic regression models. A total of 1,219 nurses (49.07%) were exposed to passive smoking. Of these, 609 (24.52%), 160 (6.44%), and 587 (23.63%) nurses had poorer physical, mental, and overall health, respectively. After adjusting for other confounding factors, compared with the non-passive smoking group, passive smoking was associated with poor physical (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.25–1.83), mental (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.07–2.07), and overall (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.30–1.93) health of nurses, respectively. We also carried out subgroup analyses stratified by age, department, and professional title, which showed that most findings supported the main results. This study demonstrated that exposure to passive smoking was a risk factor for overall decreased physical and mental health status among Chinese nurses.

The Effect of Psychological Contract Combined With Stress and Health on Employees' Management Behavior

In order to effectively manage employees and improve their work enthusiasm, based on the theoretical basis of project team members' psychological contract, the status quo of employees' psychological contract, stress and health status are investigated and analyzed. The differences of employees' psychological contract are analyzed through the questionnaire. A total of 400 questionnaires are distributed and 365 are returned. The method of one-way ANOVA is used to study the psychological contract status of project members from four aspects: gender, education background, position level, and working years, and obtain the results of difference analysis in four aspects. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) is used to evaluate the work stress of employees. The results show that gender, education background, position level and working years have different effects on employees' psychological contract. Moreover, if employees continue to bear high-intensity work stress, a series of psychological and physical health problems will appear, such as difficulty in concentration. For enterprises, the poor psychological and physical conditions of employees will make the overall work inefficient and the working atmosphere dull. Therefore, enterprises should control employees' work stress within a reasonable range, and should not blindly impose high-intensity work stress on employees. This exploration demonstrates the way to realize the psychological contract construction of project team members, and targeted employee management countermeasures are put forward.

Schisantherin A improves learning and memory abilities partly through regulating the Nrf2/Keap1/ARE signaling pathway in chronic fatigue mice

Chronic fatigue is frequently accompanied by decreased learning and memory capabilities. Schizantherin A (SCA) is one of the main active monomer components in Schisandra chinensis lignans. In the present study, a chronic fatigue mouse model was established using the exhausted swimming approach to investigate the effects of SCA on learning and memory and its associated mechanism of action. Learning and memory abilities were tested by step through tests and water maze methods. Levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in hippocampal tissue were measured by corresponding assays. The effect of SCA on the expression of kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Bcl2, Bax and cleaved caspase-3 were determined by western blot. The present results showed that SCA can improve the learning and memory capabilities of chronic fatigue mice. SCA was found to increase the activities of SOD and CAT in addition to increasing the levels of GSH but reduced the levels of MDA in hippocampus tissues. Furthermore, SCA treatment downregulated the protein expression levels of Keap1, Bax and cleaved caspase-3 and upregulated the protein expression levels of Nrf2, HO1 and Bcl2 in the hippocampus. These results suggested that modulations in the Nrf2-Keap1-antioxidant response element pathway, anti-oxidative and anti-apoptosis effects are the causes underlying the improvements from SCA treatment on the learning and memory abilities of chronic fatigue mice.

Lactobacillus salivarius, a Potential Probiotic to Improve the Health of LPS-Challenged Piglet Intestine by Alleviating Inflammation as Well as Oxidative Stress in a Dose-Dependent Manner During Weaning Transition

Intestinal health is a critical issue for piglets during their weaning transition period. Previous reports have emphasized the promise of distinct probiotics in improving the enteric health. Here in this research, a newly isolated Lactobacillus salivarius strain was pretreated to Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged piglets and its association with integrity of the intestinal barrier coupled with effective dosage were expected to be signified. In the present study, 72 piglets (Landrace × Yorkshiere × Duroc) were randomly allotted to four groups, each group with six replicates. The subjects in the control group were provided with basal diet while those in other tested groups with extra 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2% L. salivarius, respectively. Fourteen days later, LPS was intraperitoneally injected and sodium pentobarbital was then delivered to euthanize those LPS-challenged piglets. An increase of average daily gain and body weight along with an apparent decline of diarrhea rate were observed in L. salivarius-treated groups. Both 0.1 and 0.2% L. salivarius supplement in total diet had the capability to markedly elevate levels of CAT, GSH-Px, SOD, anti-inflammatory cytokine from the serum as well as tight junction proteins (Claudin-1, Occludin, and ZO-1) extracted from intestine in LPS-challenged piglets. These changes were accompanied by the obvious downregulation of D-lactic acid, DAO, MDA and pro-inflammatory mediators in the serum, including IL-1β, IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α. Meanwhile, the expression levels of TLR2 and TLR4 in spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes were significantly lower whereas the oxidation-related gene, ho-1 was up-regulated with L. salivarius administration. Our findings suggested that relatively high dose L. salivarius (0.1–0.2%) could regulate the progression of inflammatory response and oxidative stress when individuals were exposed to LPS, thus probably offering valuable assistance in restoring barrier function and improving overall performance.

CADM1 enhances intestinal barrier function in a rat model of mild inflammatory bowel disease by inhibiting the STAT3 signaling pathway

Cell adhesion molecule 1 (CADM1) is frequently silenced in lung, prostate, liver, stomach, pancreatic and breast carcinomas and other forms of human carcinomas. However, it is unclear regarding the role of CADM1 in irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhoea (IBS-D) that is the most common gastrointestinal diagnosis and may contribute to impaired intestinal barrier function. The aim of the present study is to explore the potential mechanism of CADM1 in regulating intestinal barrier function in IBS-D. A rat model with IBS-D induced by the combination method of mother-infant separation, acetic acid and restraint stress was initially established. The defecation frequency, faecal water content (FWC), total intestinal permeability, sIgA, endotoxin, D-lactic acid and diamine oxidase (DAO) were then measured. Next, positive expression of CADM1 protein was detected in distal colonic tissue of rats by immunohistochemistry. The expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in distal colonic mucosa, CADM1, Janus kinase 1 (JAK1), STAT3, p-JAK1, p-STAT3, Claudin-1and Claudin-2 were evaluated using ELISA, RT-qPCR and western blot analysis. IBS-D rats exhibited low CADM1 expression and activated STAT3 signaling pathway. Overexpression of CADM1 in rats was shown to increase Claudin-1 expression, while decreasing expression of STAT3, Claudin-2, TNF-α and IL-6. In addition, silencing of CADM1 or inhibition of the STAT3 signaling pathway was demonstrated to improve the intestinal barrier function. Our study provides evidence that CADM1 can potentially improve intestinal barrier function in rats with IBS-D by inhibiting the STAT3 signaling pathway.

Effects of different doses lipopolysaccharides on the mucosal barrier in mouse intestine

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an important component in the outer membrane of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria, can induce a systemic inflammatory response and play an important role in bacterial infection and disease evolution. The thick layer of mucus covering the small intestinal villus acts primarily to the first barrier from damage by toxic substances. We aimed to study the effects of LPS on the intestinal mucus layer barrier. The results showed that the thickness of the mucus layer was significantly increased by a low dose of LPS. Further, LPS can cross this barrier into the blood, put the body in a state of chronic low-grade inflammation, and activate the body's immune response. However, after a long-term high dose of LPS exposure, a large number of lysosomes in goblet cells caused a loss of function, and mucus layer thickness was significantly decreased. A large amount of LPS stuck to the mucus, leading to normal LPS and inflammatory cytokines level of plasma. The intestinal tissue morphology was damaged, and many immune cells died through necrosis in the intestine. Collectively, the function of the goblet cell was normal, a low dose of LPS cannot be stuck to the mucus layer. However, a high dose of LPS stuck to the mucus when goblet cells caused a loss of function, which can be directly linked to the severity of the immunosuppression in the body.

LPS Inhibits Fatty Acid Absorption in Enterocytes through TNF-α Secreted by Macrophages

Diarrhea, such as steatorrhea, could result from fat absorption disorders, which could be caused by many factors, including Escherichia coli infection. However, it is not clear how E. coli affects fatty acid absorption in animals. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as one of the main pathogenic components of E. coli, is the main cause of the virulence of E. coli. Therefore, we used LPS to explore the underlying mechanism of E. coli that causes the inhibition of fatty acid absorption in the intestine. In this study, we found that LPS caused apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells in mice. Further, caspase-3 activation caused the inhibition of fatty acid absorption in the intestinal porcine enterocyte cell line (IPEC-J2). However, direct treatment of LPS did not induce any significant change in fatty acid absorption in IPEC-J2. We then prepared conditioned medium of LPS-treated porcine macrophage cell line (3D4/2) for incubating IPEC-J2, as LPS initiates inflammation by activating immune cells. The conditioned medium decreased fatty acid absorption and caspase-3 activation in IPEC-J2. While inhibiting the activation of caspase-3 in IPEC-J2, conditioned medium no longer caused serious deficiency of fatty acid absorption. As IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in conditioned medium increase significantly, IPEC-J2 was treated with IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, respectively. Only TNF-α induced caspase-3 activation in IPEC-J2. Reducing the secretion of TNF-α in 3D4/2, there was no obvious activation of caspase-3 in IPEC-J2, and fatty acid absorption recovered effectively. Based on the above results, we hold the opinion that LPS does not suppress fatty acid absorption directly in the intestine, but may work on macrophages that secrete cytokines, such as TNF-α, inducing caspase-3 activation and finally leading to the inhibition of fatty acid absorption in intestine.

Raw Bowl Tea (Tuocha) Polyphenol Prevention of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease by Regulating Intestinal Function in Mice

A high-fat diet-induced C57BL/6N mouse model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was established. The effect and mechanism of Raw Bowl Tea polyphenols (RBTP) on preventing NAFLD via regulating intestinal function were observed. The serum, liver, epididymis, small intestine tissues, and feces of mice were examined by biochemical and molecular biological methods, and the composition of RBTP was analyzed by HPLC assay. The results showed that RBTP could effectively reduce the body weight, liver weight, and liver index of NAFLD mice. The serum effects of RBTP were: (1) decreases in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), D-lactate (D-LA), diamine oxidase (DAO), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and an increase of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels; (2) a decrease of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and interferon gamma (INF-γ); (3) a decrease the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in liver tissue; and (4) alleviation of pathological injuries of liver, epididymis, and small intestinal tissues caused by NAFLD and protection of body tissues. qPCR and Western blot results showed that RBTP could up-regulate the mRNA and protein expressions of LPL, PPAR-α, CYP7A1, and CPT1, and down-regulate PPAR-γ and C/EBP-α in the liver of NAFLD mice. In addition, RBTP up-regulated the expression of occludin and ZO-1, and down-regulated the expression of CD36 and TNF-α in the small intestines of NAFLD mice. Studies on mice feces showed that RBTP reduced the level of Firmicutes and increased the minimum levels of Bacteroides and Akkermansia, as well as reduced the proportion of Firmicutes/Bacteroides in the feces of NAFLD mice, which play a role in regulating intestinal microecology. Component analysis showed that RBTP contained seven polyphenolic compounds: Gallic acid, (-)-epigallocatechin, catechin, L-epicatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, (-)-gallocatechin gallate, and (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG), and high levels of caffeine, (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), and ECG. RBTP improved the intestinal environment of NAFLD mice with the contained active ingredients, thus playing a role in preventing NAFLD. The effect was positively correlated with the dose of 100 mg/kg, which was even better than that of the clinical drug bezafibrate.

Vitamin A supplementation improves the intestinal mucosal barrier and facilitates the expression of tight junction proteins in rats with diarrhea

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to investigate the specific effects of vitamin A (VA) on diarrhea in rats and its potential targets to protect the intestinal mucosa.

METHODS

Specific pathogen-free Sprague Dawley rats were fed a VA deficient (VAD) or VA normal (VAN) diet for 4 wk. Then, half of the VAN rats were treated with a VAN diet and the other half with a lactose VAN diet. VAD rats were randomly assigned to one of four groups and fed a VAD diet, lactose VAD diet, VAN diet with VA supplementation (VAS) via daily intragastric administration, or a lactose VAN diet with daily VAS. Rat weight and degree of diarrhea were evaluated daily. After 15 d, the serum retinol level was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, and the serum diamine oxidase (DAO) and zonulin concentrations were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The small intestine mucosal pathology was observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Western blotting was performed to detect the protein expression levels of occludin and claudin-1 in the intestinal mucosa, and the zonula-occludens 1 expression was assessed using immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

VAD limited weight gain in rats and increased the degree of diarrhea. The serum retinol levels and the level of tight junction (TJ) proteins claudin-1 and occludin and grip strength were affected by the interaction between lactose-induced diarrhea and the VA diet. Diarrhea, independent of VAD, significantly decreased rat weight, increased serum DAO levels, damaged small intestine villi, and impaired zonula-occludens 1 protein expression. VAD significantly increased the concentration of zonulin independently of diarrhea, but VAS increased the serum retinol level, reduced the severity of diarrhea, increased the expression levels of the TJ proteins, facilitated the restoration of the small intestine villi that were damaged by the diarrhea, and decreased the concentrations of serum DAO and zonulin.

CONCLUSIONS

VAD may aggravate the degree of diarrhea and intestinal mucosal damage during the duration of diarrhea, and VAS helps relieve diarrhea and improves intestinal damage likely by regulating the expression of TJ proteins. Therefore, VA plays a pivotal role in the protection of the intestinal mucosa during instances of diarrhea.

MicroRNA‑381/Hes1 is a potential therapeutic target for spinal cord injury

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether microRNA‑381 is a potential therapeutic target for spinal cord injury (SCI) and its possible mechanism. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for mRNA expression was used to analyze the changes of microRNA-381 expression. Cell viability and cell apoptosis were measured using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometry. Caspase‑3 activity was measured using caspase‑3 activity kit, and western blot analysis was used to measure the protein expression of neurogenic locus notch homolog protein 1 (Notch1), notch 1 intracellular domain (NICD) and transcription factor HES-1 (Hes1). The data showed that microRNA‑381 expression of model SCI rats was downregulated compared with that of control rats. Overexpression of microRNA‑381 promoted cell proliferation, and inhibited apoptosis and caspase‑3 and apoptosis regulator BAX (Bax) protein expression in neurocytes. Overexpression of microRNA‑381 also increased Wnt and β‑catenin protein expression, and suppressed the protein expression of Notch1, NICD and Hes1 in neurocytes. Wnt inhibitor, Wnt‑C59 (1 µmol/l), inhibited cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis and caspase‑3 and Bax protein expression, suppressed β‑catenin protein expression and induced Hes1 protein expression in neurocytes following microRNA‑381 overexpression. Notch inhibitor, FLI‑06 (1 µmol/l), promoted cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis and caspase‑3 and Bax protein expression, and suppressed NICD and Hes1 protein expression in neurocytes following microRNA‑381 overexpression. Thus, this study showed that overexpression of microRNA‑381 promotes cell proliferation of neurocytes in SCI via Hes1 expression, which may be a novel important mechanism for SCI in clinical applications.

Protective effect of aplysin on liver tissue and the gut microbiota in alcohol-fed rats

Background

This study investigated the protective effect of aplysin on the liver and its influence on inflammation and the gut microbiota in rats with ethanol-induced liver injury.

Methods

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to an alcohol-containing liquid diet, control liquid diet or treatment with aplysin for 8 weeks. Hepatic and intestinal histopathological analysis was performed, and cytokine levels and the intestinal mucosal barrier were assessed. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR) and 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing were performed to provide an overview of the gut microbiota composition.

Results

Chronic alcohol exposure caused liver damage in rats. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and triglyceride (TG) activities in liver tissue were higher than in the control group. Alcohol administration elevated the levels of serum transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and reduced interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels compared with those of control rats. In addition, the levels of plasma endotoxin, diamine oxidase (DAO), and fatty acid-binding protein 2 (FABP2) in the alcohol group were higher than in the control group. The results of ERIC-PCR indicated that aplysin treatment shifted the overall structure of the ethanol-disrupted gut microbiota toward that of the control group. One hundred twenty to 190 genera of bacteria were detected by high throughput sequencing. Alcohol-induced changes in the gut microbial composition were detected at the genus level. These alcohol-induced effects could be reversed with aplysin treatment.

Conclusions

These results suggest that aplysin exerts a protective effect on ethanol-induced hepatic injury in rats by normalizing fecal microbiota composition and repairing intestinal barrier function.