Regulation of bifidobacterium on Wnt/β-Catenin signal pathway of intestinal tissue in newborn rats with necrotizing enterocolitis

Abstract

Objective To study the effect of bifidobacterium on intestinal tissue of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in newborn rats and its regulation of Wnt/β-Catenin signal pathway. Methods Seventy-five newborn SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, and each group had 15 rats.Group A was artificial feeding control group; group B was NEC model group; group C was bifidobacterium treatment group; group D was artificial feeding+ bifidobacterium control group; group E was rat breast feeding control group.The localization expression of Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) of ileocecal ileum tissue was detected by immunohistochemical detection, and also the equivalen-tileum tissues were detected for the contents of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) and β-Catenin expression by Wes-tern blot.Comparing the differences of these indicators between the groups, in addition, the data of TLR4, GSK3β and β-Catenin were analyzed by Bivariate correlations. Results The levels of TLR4 in ileum tissue of 5 groups were 0.36±0.03, 0.48±0.05, 0.34±0.03, 0.37±0.04, 0.35±0.02.The levels of GSK3β in ileum tissue of 5 groups were 0.98±0.23, 1.48±0.42, 0.99±0.20, 0.56±0.17, 0.60±0.15.The levels of β-Catenin in ileum tissue of 5 groups were 1.48±0.22, 0.64±0.55, 1.27±0.36, 1.72±0.51, 1.82±0.44.The levels of TLR4 and GSK3β in ileum tissue of group B were significantly increased compared with group E (P<0.05). The levels of β-Catenin significantly decreased compared with group E (P<0.05). The levels of TLR4 and GSK3β in ileum tissue of group C were significantly decreased compared with group B (P<0.05). The levels of β-Catenin significantly increased compared with group B (P<0.05). Negative correlation was observed between the levels of GSK3β and β-Catenin(r=-0.592, P<0.05), while positive correlation was observed between the levels of TLR4 and GSK3β(r=0.295, P<0.05), and negative correlation was observed between the levels of TLR4 and β-Catenin(r=-0.426, P<0.05). Conclusions Bifidobacterium has certain protective effect on the NEC newborn rat intestines, which can reduce the incidence of experimental NEC and the severity of intestinal injury.Its effect may be achieved by regulating the Wnt/β-Catenin signal pathway, which decreases the expression of the level of GSK3β and increases the level of repair factor β-Catenin. Key words: Enterocolitis, necrotizing; Bifidobacterium; Wnt/β-Catenin signal pathway