Lu Xiao1, Ting Cui1, Shu Liu1, Baolin Chen1, Yuting Wang2, Ting Yang1, Tingyu Li1, Jie Chen3. 1. Children's Nutrition Research Center, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China. 2. Children's Nutrition Research Center, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China; Department of Digestive, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China. 3. Children's Nutrition Research Center, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China. Electronic address: jchen010@foxmail.com.
Abstract
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.
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. VADrats were randomly assigned to one of four groups and fed a VAD diet, lactoseVAD 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.
Authors: Paddy Ssentongo; Djibril M Ba; Anna E Ssentongo; Claudio Fronterre; Andrew Whalen; Yanxu Yang; Jessica E Ericson; Vernon M Chinchilli Journal: PLoS One Date: 2020-05-29 Impact factor: 3.240