Lab Anim Res.  2023 Mar;39(1):1-11. 10.1186/s42826-022-00152-1.

Improvement of the intestinal epithelial barrier during laxative effects of phlorotannin in loperamide‑induced constipation of SD rats

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Biomaterials Science (BK21 FOUR Program), College of Natu- ral Resources and Life Science/Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute/Laboratory Animal Resources Center, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Korea.
  • 2Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
  • 3Veterinary Medical Center, Department of Veterinary Theriogenology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea.

Abstract

Background
Disruptions of the intestinal epithelial barrier (IEB) are frequently observed in various digestive diseases, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study assessed the improvement in the IEB during the laxative activity of phlorotannin (Pt) harvested from Ecklonia cava in constipation by examining the changes in the expression of the regulatory proteins for the tight junction (TJ) and adherens junction (AJ), and inflammatory cytokines in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats with loperamide (Lm)-induced constipation after a Pt treatment.
Results
The Pt treatment induced laxative activity, including the improvement of feces-related parameters, gastrointestinal transit rate, and histological structure of the mid colon in Lm-treated SD rats. In addition, significant recovery effects were detected in the histology of IEB, including the mucus layer, epithelial cells, and lamina propria in the mid colon of Lm + Pt treated SD rats. The expression levels of E-cadherin and p120-catenin for AJ and the ZO-1, occludin, and Claudin-1 genes for TJ in epithelial cells were improved remarkably after the Pt treatment, but the rate of increase was different. Furthermore, the Pt treatment increased the expression level of several inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-13, and IL-4 in Lm + Pt treated SD rats.
Conclusions
These results provide the first evidence that the laxative activity of Pt in SD rats with Lm-induced constipation phenotypes involve improvements in the IEB.

Keyword

Intestinal epithelial barrier; Constipation; Phlorotannins; Laxative effects; Tight junction; Adherens junction
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