Supplementation with yeast culture improves the integrity of intestinal tight junction proteins via NOD1/NF‐κB P65 pathway in weaned piglets and H2O2-challenged IPEC-J2 cells

Abstract

• This study explored the effect of yeast culture on the intestinal tight junction proteins and its underlying mechanism. • Yeast culture improved the expression of tight junction proteins in vivo and in vitro. • Yeast culture inhibited the NOD1/NF-κB P65 pathway in the intestine of weaned piglets and H 2 O 2 -challenged IPEC-J2 cells. • Occludin and ZO-1 play key roles in the activation of NOD1-mediated pathway. This study was explored the effect of yeast culture supplementation on the intestinal tight junction (TJ) proteins of weaned piglets and porcine small intestinal epithelial (IPEC-J2) cells, and the underlying mechanism was further investigated. Yeast culture increased the growth performance of weaned piglets, reduced the diamine oxidase (DAO) activity in serum, increased the villus height and villus height/crypt depth (V/C) ratio of jejunum, and enhanced the mRNA expression and protein abundance of intestinal TJ proteins. Proinflammatory factors were decreased in serum and intestinal tissues, and the NOD1/nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) P65 pathway was inhibited. The results in vitro are consistent with those in vivo, and found that Occludin and ZO-1 correlated negatively with NOD1/NF-κB P65 pathway related factors, suggesting that Occludin and ZO-1 play key roles in the activation of NOD1-mediated pathway. These findings may provide new insights into the mechanism by which yeast culture regulates TJ proteins.