Study on the protective effects and molecular mechanisms of L-sodium lactate in mouse colitis

The present study investigates the therapeutic potential of L-sodium lactate in a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis C57BL/6J mice model. Treatment with L-sodium lactate significantly mitigated disease severity, as evidenced by reduced colon shortening (P < 0.05) and elevated levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 (P < 0.05). Tandem mass tag (TMT)-based proteomic profiling revealed dual mechanisms, involving the up-regulation of cell cycle- and proliferation-associated proteins (PCNA, SMC, eEF2K) and the down-regulation of immune-related proteins (immunoglobulin variants, Granzyme A). In vitro, 10 μM L-sodium lactate has been demonstrated to promote the proliferation and migration of colorectal cancer cells (MC38/HCT116) (P < 0.05), accompanied by increased expression of c-Myc and PCNA. Collectively, these findings suggest that L-sodium lactate may enhance mucosal repair while suppressing histopathological injury in colitis, although further studies are needed to confirm these mechanisms.