Gut-Liver Axis reveals the protective effect of exopolysaccharides isolated from Sporidiobolus pararoseus on alcohol-induced liver injury

Abstract

• A study about Exopolysaccharides (EPS) from S. pararoseus against ALD. • The effects of EPS on ALD in oxidative stress, inflammation, and lipid accumulation. • The effects of EPS on ALD based on liver-gut axis. • The mechanism analysis of EPS to protect intestinal barrier function. Chronic and excessive alcohol consumption can lead to the development of alcoholic liver disease (ALD), which is characterized by oxidative damage, inflammation, and impaired intestinal barrier function. To evaluate the effect of exopolysaccharides (EPS) from Sporidiobolus pararoseus on ALD, alcohol was used in this study to cause liver damage in mice. Then, the antioxidant and anti-inflammation activities and protective effect of EPS on the intestinal barrier function were further explored in an ALD model. The results show that the histopathological change and liver injury were significantly improved in the EPS group. EPS treatment significantly increased the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) (P < 0.05), and weak reduced the elevation of malondialdehyde (MDA) induced by ALD. Several inflammatory markers, including tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β were reduced significantly after the intervention by EPS (P < 0.01). In addition, EPS also inhibited the injury of the small intestine and regulated the intestinal barrier function. A mechanism study shows that EPS restrained oxidative stress and protected intestinal barrier function by activating Nrf2/HO-1/PPAR-γ signaling pathway and upregulating the expression of ZO-1 and occludin, indicating that EPS showed protective activity against ALD through the gut-hepatic axis. Therefore, EPS has potential as a protective agent against ALD.