Cinnamaldehyde alleviates zearalenone-induced LS174T cell apoptosis, barrier dysfunction and mucin reduction through...

As a natural aldehyde organic compound, cinnamaldehyde (CA) is one of the main components of cinnamon essential oil with multiple bioactivities. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of CA on zearalenone (ZEA)-induced apoptosis, barrier dysfunction and mucin reduction, as well as underlying mechanisms in LS174T cells. In the present study, cells pre-treated with or without CA for 24 h were left untreated or subjected to ZEA for indicated time points Our results showed that 10 μM CA significantly prevented ZEA-induced cell viability decline, reversed ZEA-induced increase of the LDH level, cell cycle disruption and apoptosis in LS174T cells. Periodic acid-schiff (PAS) staining analysis showed that CA significantly alleviated the reduction of mucin secretion in LS174T cells caused by ZEA exposure. Western blot analysis showed that CA significantly reversed ZEA-induced reduction of the expression of mucin 2 (MUC2) and tight junction (TJ) proteins (claudin-1, claudin-3, ZO-1 and ZO-2) in LS174T cells. Notably, CA can significantly reduce the upregulation of the main effector of MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways in LS174T cells. Further study showed that CA protects cells against ZEA-induced cellular damage through JNK/NF-κB signaling pathway in LS174T cells. Supplementation with CA might be an potential strategy to alleviate the damaging effect of ZEA on epithelial cells.