Effects of Blidingia sp. Extract on Intestinal Inflammation and Microbiota Composition in LPS-Challenged Mice.

Wei Song,Yan Li,Zongling Wang,Xuelei Zhang

doi:10.3389/fphys.2019.00763

Abstract

Blidingia sp. is a green alga that has spread rapidly in Subei Shoal, China. To explore the potential beneficial effects of Blidingia sp., we investigated the anti-inflammatory activity of its water–methanol extract of Blidingia sp. in a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal inflammation. The results revealed that the administration of Blidingia extract significantly alleviated the LPS-induced increase of the inflammatory cytokine content in the serum, as well as latter’s gene expression in the ileum. Moreover, the extract inhibited the phosphorylation of NF-κB and IκBα in LPS-challenged mice. Apart from these changes, the extract also averted intestinal morphology damage(s) and cell apoptosis in mice. Interestingly, the extract also had beneficial effects on the diversity and composition of caecal microbiota in LPS-challenged mice. In conclusion, the results suggested that Blidingia extract had beneficial effects on the recovery of intestinal function by reducing the inflammatory response, improving the maintenance of intestinal morphology, and decreasing cell apoptosis in LPS-induced intestinal inflammation. In addition, the beneficial effects of the extract on caecal microbiota composition may play a role in its anti-inflammatory activity. These results suggested that Blidingia extract could be potentially used in preventing intestinal inflammation.

Highlights

Inflammation is an innate defense mechanism in response to tissue injury, stress, and infection
Over two hundred compounds were detected in the Blidingia sp. extract with the high-resolution UPLC-QEOrbitrap/MS system (Supplementary Table S2)
Expression of phosphorylated NFκB and IκBα in LPS-challenged mice were significantly higher when compared with control mice, while no significant difference was observed in their expression between control mice and mice administrated with Blidingia sp. extract (Figures 2E,F) (Supplementary Figures S1–S4)

Summary

Introduction

Inflammation is an innate defense mechanism in response to tissue injury, stress, and infection. An excessive and acute inflammation could be potentially damaging. A chronic and prolonged inflammation could promote the development of diabetes, obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases (Wang Z. et al, 2017). Acute treatment of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), (produced by the Gram-negative bacterial cell wall) induces rapid accumulation of various cytokines that play an important role in the inflammatory process (Zhou et al, 2012, 2017b). The use of an LPS-induced intestinal inflammation rodent model is common for evaluating the anti-inflammatory activity of natural products (Raetz and Whitfield, 2002)

Results

Discussion

Conclusion