Wild jujube polysaccharides protect against experimental inflammatory bowel disease by enabling enhanced intestinal barrier function

Abstract

Dietary polysaccharides provide various beneficial effects for our health. We investigated the protective effects of wild jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chou) sarcocarp polysaccharides (WJPs) against experimental inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by enabling enhanced intestinal barrier function. Colitis was induced in rats by the intrarectal administration of TNBS. We found that WJPs markedly ameliorated the colitis severity, including less weight loss, decreased disease activity index scores, and improved mucosal damage in colitis rats. Moreover, WJPs suppressed the inflammatory response via attenuation of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and MPO activity in colitis rats. And then, to determine the effect of WJPs on the intestinal barrier, we measured the effect of WJPs on the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) and FITC-conjugated dextran permeability in Caco-2 cell stimulation with TNF-α. We further demonstrated that the alleviation of WJPs to colon injury was associated with barrier function by assembly of tight junction proteins. Moreover, the effect of WJPs on TER was eliminated by the specific inhibitor of AMPK. AMPK activity was also up-regulated by WJPs in Caco-2 cell stimulation with TNF-α and in colitis rats. This study demonstrates that WJPs protect against IBD by enabling enhanced intestinal barrier function involving the activation of AMPK.

Geniposide ameliorates TNBS-induced experimental colitis in rats via reducing inflammatory cytokine release and restoring impaired intestinal barrier function

“…The rat model of colitis was induced by rectal administration of TNBS according to previously described methods [9] . After a 24-h period of fasting with ad libitum access to water, a TNBSethanol solution (50% v/v) was administered through a catheter into the rat colon at a dose of 100 mg/kg under urethane anesthesia (1.25 g/kg, ip).…”

Deoxycholic acid disrupts the intestinal mucosal barrier and promotes intestinal tumorigenesis

“…Many drugs used for treating gastrointestinal disorders such as steroids, 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), anti-TNF drugs and probiotics also have the ability to regulate intestinal permeability and improve the disease condition. 44,45 Lifestyle and dietary factors (such as westernized diets) can increase intestinal permeability. 46 Our in vitro studies have shown that DCA increased cell permeability and promoted the production of proinflammatory cytokines.…”

Influence of functional food components on gut health

“…Also, in a double-blind trial conducted in Brazil, children prescribed with vitamin A, zinc and glutamine showed improved intestinal barrier function, possibly via interaction with leptin (Lima et al 2014). Dietary polysaccharides from wild jujube were shown to alleviate 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction in rats via modulation of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities; and in the same study, the polysaccharides facilitated assembly of TJ proteins in Caco-2 cells stimulated with TNF-α (Yue et al 2015). Moreover, dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly n-3, were shown to reduce intestinal permeability during colitis, likely through anti-inflammatory action or modulation of TJ protein expression (Knoch et al 2010).…”