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Published on: January 5, 2017
D-Tagatose attenuates DSS-induced ulcerative colitis by inhibiting inflammation, reducing intestinal barrier damage
Le Wang1, Houzhen Lu1, Haitao Gui1
1School of Biological Engineering, Institute of Biomass Science and Engineering, Henan University of Technology, 450001, Zhengzhou, China. wanglely1984@163.com.
Abstract:
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a prevalent inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) posing a significant health threat. This study explored the protective effects of D-tagatose against DSS-induced colitis in mice and its underlying mechanisms using H&E staining, AB-PAS staining, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, ELISA, qPCR, western blotting, and other assays. D-Tagatose improved colitis by increasing body weight and colon length, with decreased DAI (disease activity index) and histopathological scores. The results showed that D-tagatose inhibited the secretion of myeloperoxidase (MPO), inflammatory enzymes (iNOS and COX-2) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) as well as increased the content of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) in vitro. In addition, D-tagatose enhanced the expression of tight junction proteins (ZO-1 and Occludin) and mucin (MUC-2). Furthermore, D-tagatose was able to modulate the gut microbiota dysbiosis caused by DSS-induced UC and increased the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). This study indicated that D-tagatose attenuated DSS-induced UC by modulating inflammatory cytokines, restoring intestinal barrier function, maintaining gut microbiota homeostasis, and enhancing SCFA production. These findings provide D-tagatose as a safe and effective novel functional food strategy for the prevention and treatment of UC.
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