Icariin Enhances Intestinal Barrier Function by Inhibiting NF-Κb
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RSC Advances View Article Online PAPER View Journal | View Issue Icariin enhances intestinal barrier function by inhibiting NF-kB signaling pathways and Cite this: RSC Adv.,2019,9, 37947 modulating gut microbiota in a piglet model† Wen Xiong, a Haoyue Ma,b Zhu Zhang,a Meilan Jin,a Jian Wang,a Yuwei Xua and Zili Wang*a This study investigated the effects of icariin on intestinal barrier function and its underlying mechanisms. The icariin diet improved the growth rate and reduced the diarrhea rate in piglets. The icariin diet also reduced the levels of plasma and colonic IL-1b, -6, -8, TNF-a, and MDA but increased the plasma and colonic activity of SOD, GPx, and CAT. Besides, the levels of plasma and colonic endotoxin, DAO, D- lactate, and zonulin were markedly reduced in icariin groups. Meanwhile, dietary intake icariin significantly increased the gene and protein expression of ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin-1 in the colon. Furthermore, the gene and protein expressions of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-kB were significantly inhibited Received 7th September 2019 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence. in the colon of icariin fed piglets. The intestinal microbiota composition and function was changed by Accepted 6th November 2019 the icariin diet. Collectively, these findings increase our understanding of the mechanisms by which ICA DOI: 10.1039/c9ra07176h enhances the intestinal barrier function and promotes the development of nutritional intervention rsc.li/rsc-advances strategies. Introduction inammatory bowel disease and tissue damage.6 In addition, intestinal oxidative stress disrupts the intestinal barrier by The intestine is not only the main digestive and absorbing reducing redox sensitivity, resulting in increased intestinal 7 This article is licensed under a organ of nutrients but is also an effective barrier against various permeability. Microorganisms that inhabit the gut and their pathogenic infections.1,2 The main function of the intestinal benecial metabolites can regulate intestinal health.8 Increasing epithelium is to isolate the digesta, microorganisms, and its evidences suggest that gut microbiota disorder is closely related metabolites from the intestinal epithelial cells, preventing to inammation and oxidative stress. A previous study has shown Open Access Article. Published on 20 November 2019. Downloaded 9/28/2021 8:28:15 PM. harmful substances in the intestinal lumen from damaging the that gut microbiota disorder redisposed to inammatory bowel intestinal epithelial cells and then entering the lymph or blood diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn disease, and indeter- circulation.3 Under normal physiological conditions, the intes- minate colitis.9 Besides, it has been reported that change in the tinal tract can selectively penetrate nutrients. However, under gut microbiota may lead to apoptosis and further affect the pathological conditions, harmful metabolic substances in the intestinal barrier by affecting oxidative stress.10 Therefore, the intestinal lumen may escape into the blood circulation due to inhibition of pathogenic proliferation by means of nutritional the destruction of intestinal integrity, causing local or systemic intervention is necessary to alleviate inammation and oxidative diseases.4 Thus, to prevent harmful metabolites from damaging stress. Microbial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids the intestinal or distant organs, the structural and functional (SCFAs) could serve as an energy source for intestinal epithelial integrity of the mucosal epithelium needs to be maintained. cells, and could also act as signaling molecules to regulate Impaired intestinal integrity increases intestinal permeability, metabolic and immune functions.11,12 NF-kB is a nuclear tran- inammatory response, and oxidative stress, leading to bacterial scription factor that has been extensively studied, and many translocation and subsequent intestinal disease.5 Excessive pro- reports have demonstrated that NF-kB mediates inammatory inammatory cytokines in the intestinal mucosa can cause responses and oxidative stress.13,14 Therefore, maintaining the homeostasis of the gut microbiota and limiting the expression of NF-kB is critical for protecting intestinal health. aCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China. Evidence in rodents and humans has revealed that natural E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; product medicines have good health effects, such as alleviation [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] of type 2 diabetes, chronic liver damage, and irritable bowel bCollege of Parmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China. E-mail: syndrome.15–17 As a common natural product, the academic [email protected] † Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: community has conducted a comprehensive study on the 10.1039/c9ra07176h chemical constituents of epimedium. Among them, icariin This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2019 RSC Adv.,2019,9, 37947–37956 | 37947 View Article Online RSC Advances Paper (ICA) is a representative active ingredient of epimedium.18 the diarrhea rate was signicantly lower than that of the CON Emerging data suggest that ICA exerts its benecial effects by group (P < 0.05). regulating some biological processes, such as inhibiting inammatory responses and oxidative stress.19,20 However, it is unclear whether ICA contributes to maintaining or enhancing Effect of diet supplemented with ICA on plasma and colonic the intestinal barrier function. cytokines and oxidative status in weaned piglets Pigs are omnivores with similar organ functions and meta- We detected biomarkers related to the inammation and bolic pathways as humans. Importantly, the gut microbiota of oxidative stress in the piglets. These biomarkers included IL-1b, these two species shares a comparatively broad range of gut IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a as markers for inammation and MDA, 21,22 microbiota. Therefore, pigs are generally considered to be SOD, GSH-px, and CAT as markers for oxidative stress. The excellent model species for studying human digestion and levels of plasma and colonic IL-1b, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a were 23,24 nutrition. In the current study, we employed piglets as markedly reduced (P < 0.05) in the piglets from the ICA groups ff a model to investigate the e ects of ICA on intestinal barrier (Fig. 1). The levels of plasma and colonic MDA were dramati- function. In addition, the potential mechanisms of ICA for cally decreased and the enzymatic activity of SOD, GSH-px, and intestinal barrier function were elucidated by studying gut CAT were signicantly increased (P < 0.05) in the piglets from k microbiota and NF- B signaling pathways. the ICA groups (Fig. 2). Effect of diet supplemented with ICA on intestinal Results permeability in weaned piglets Effect of diet supplemented with ICA on growth performance We further detected biomarkers related to the intestinal in weaned piglets permeability of piglets. These biomarkers included endotoxin, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence. To demonstrate the effect of diet supplemented with ICA on DAO, D-lactate, and zonulin. The levels of plasma and colonic growth performance, we examined BW, ADG, and diarrhea rate endotoxin, DAO, D-lactate, and zonulin were markedly reduced (Table 1). On days 1 and 14 of the experimental period, there (P < 0.05) in the piglets from the ICA groups (Fig. 3). was no signicant change in the BW between the two groups (P > 0.05). However, on day 28, the BW of piglets in the Effect of diet supplemented with ICA on intestinal tight ICA group was signicantly higher than that in the CON group junction protein in weaned piglets (P < 0.05). In addition, there was no difference in the ADG and diarrhea rates between the two groups during the rst two To investigate the effect of diet supplemented with ICA on This article is licensed under a weeks of the experimental period (P > 0.05). During the last two intestinal tight junction protein, we determined the gene and weeks of the experimental period, the ADG of the ICA group was protein expression of ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin-1 in the signicantly higher than that of the CON group (P < 0.05) and colonic mucosa. The gene and protein abundance of ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin-1 was dramatically increased (P < 0.05) Open Access Article. Published on 20 November 2019. Downloaded 9/28/2021 8:28:15 PM. in the piglets from ICA groups (Fig. 4). Table 1 Effect of diet supplemented ICA on growth performance and diarrhea incidence in weaned pigletsa Effect of diet supplemented with ICA on NF-kB signal pathway Groups in weaned piglets Items CON ICA P-value To investigate the potential mechanism by which diet supple- mented with ICA increases the intestinal barrier function, we BW, kg k Æ Æ examined the NF- B signaling pathway in the colonic mucosa. 1 d 7.0 0.1 7.0 0.1 0.98 k 14 d 13.1 Æ 0.2 13.6 Æ 0.1 0.28 The gene and protein abundance of TLR4, MyD88, and NF- B 28 d 17.8 Æ 0.2 19.5 Æ 0.2 0.02 was dramatically increased (P < 0.05) in the piglets from the ICA groups (Fig. 5). 1–14 d ADG, g 320 Æ 18 333 Æ 22 0.21 Diarrhea rate, % 5.0 Æ 0.1 4.5 Æ 0.1 0.33 Effect of diet supplemented with ICA on microbial 14–28 d metabolites in weaned piglets Æ Æ ADG, g 401 24 453 28 0.03 To analyze the effect of diet supplemented with ICA on intes- Diarrhea rate, % 6.8 Æ 0.1 4.4 Æ 0.1 0.01 tinal microbiota metabolism, we focused on the colonic and 1–28 d plasma SCFAs of piglets from either CON or ICA groups (ESI ADG, g 360 Æ 14 393 Æ 18 0.04 Fig. 1†). The results showed that the levels of colonic (ESI Diarrhea rate, % 5.8 Æ 0.1 4.3 Æ 0.1 0.04 Fig.