Deep-Sea Water Containing Selenium Provides Intestinal Protection against Duodenal Ulcers through the Upregulation of Bcl-2 and Thioredoxin Reductase 1

Abstract

Deep-sea water (DSW), which is rich in micronutrients and minerals and with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities, may be developed as marine drugs to provide intestinal protection against duodenal ulcers. We determined several characteristics in the modified DSW. We explored duodenal pressure, oxygenation, microvascular blood flow, and changes in pH and oxidative redox potential (ORP) values within the stomach and duodenum in response to tap water (TW, hardness: 2.48 ppm), DSW600 (hardness: 600 ppm), and DSW1200 (hardness: 1200 ppm) in Wistar rats and analyzed oxidative stress and apoptosis gene expressions by cDNA and RNA microarrays in the duodenal epithelium. We compared the effects of drinking DSW, MgCl2, and selenium water on duodenal ulcers using pathologic scoring, immunohistochemical analysis, and Western blotting. Our results showed DSW has a higher pH value, lower ORP value, higher scavenging H2O2 and HOCl activity, higher Mg2+ concentrations, and micronutrients selenium compared with TW samples. Water infusion significantly increased intestinal pressure, O2 levels, and microvascular blood flow in DSW and TW groups. Microarray showed DSW600, DSW1200, selenium water upregulated antioxidant and anti-apoptotic genes and downregulated pro-apoptotic gene expression compared with the TW group. Drinking DSW600, DSW1200, and selenium water but not Mg2+ water significantly enhanced Bcl-2 and thioredoxin reductase 1 expression. Bax/Bcl-2/caspase 3/poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase signaling was activated during the pathogenesis of duodenal ulceration. DSW drinking reduced ulcer area as well as apoptotic signaling in acetic acid-induced duodenal ulcers. DSW, which contains selenium, provides intestinal protection against duodenal ulcers through the upregulation of Bcl-2 and thioredoxin reductase 1.

Deep sea water improves exercise and inhibits oxidative stress in a physical fatigue mouse model

“…DSW has received increasing attention for various beneficial characteristics, such as low temperature, nutrition, sterility, stability and safety (8)(9)(10). It is known that high atmospheric pressure contributes to small and stable water molecules, ionization state and easy absorption of DSW.…”

“…Numerous studies have confirmed that DSW has pharmacological effects, including protecting the cardiovascular system (12,13), improving metabolic processes (14,15), anti-osteoporosis properties (16), treating atopic dermatitis skin lesions (17), accelerating recovery from physical fatigue (18), providing intestinal protection against duodenal ulcers (9) and inhibiting the metastatic potential of human breast cancer cell lines (19 Although DSW has already been studied for its alleviating fatigue effect in Wistar rats, the beneficial effects isolated in that study were only attributed to the minerals of DSW (20). In addition, the mechanism behind the beneficial effect has not yet been fully clarified.…”

Eye and skin irritation tests using deep sea water-extracted minerals

“…There are a lot of minerals, such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), vanadium (V), zinc (Zn), and potassium (K). Many studies have shown that DSW can be effectively used to treat diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension (Sheu et al 2013;Ha et al 2014b;Li et al 2014;Yang et al 2014). Mg supplementation improves myocardial metabolism and inhibits myocardial cell death.…”

Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Selenium Level in Plasma

“…The absorbed selenium is excreted through urine with some loss in sweat and skin and small amount though biliary, pancreatic and intestinal secretion. 8,9 Besides being an important nutrient, selenium has been identified as an antioxidant enzyme.…”