Title |
Synergistic effect of κ-carrageenan on oxazolone-induced inflammation in BALB/c mice
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Published in |
BMC Gastroenterology, March 2016
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DOI | 10.1186/s12876-016-0459-7 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Wei Wu, Feng Wang, Xin Gao, Tingting Niu, Xiaojuan Zhu, Xiaojun Yan, Haimin Chen |
Abstract |
Carrageenan is a traditional ingredient that has been widely used in the food industry. In the present study, we propose a hypothesis that carrageenan is a conditional inflammatory agent. When the intestinal tract is in an "unhealthy" state such as that during bacterial infection or acute inflammation, carrageenan can synergistically enhance the inflammatory response. BALB/C mice received κ-carrageenan via intragastric administration prior to the induction of oxazolone colitis. Weight changes, survival rate, histologic change, secretion of inflammatory cytokines, ratio of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in peripheral blood, and expression of genes and proteins involved in inflammation and cell proliferation in the colonic mucosa were examined. Intragastric administration of κ-carrageenan to BALB/c mice prior to the induction of oxazolone colitis resulted in an aggravation of body weight loss, a decrease in the survival ratio, aggravation of colonic inflammation, and decrease in the ratio of CD4 + CD25+/CD4+. The secretion of interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) also significantly increased after κ-carrageenan administration. κ-Carrageenan, together with oxazolone, suppressed the expression of forkhead box p3 (FOXp3) and increased the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in the colonic mucosa. These results were confirmed by qRT-PCR and western blot analyses at the molecular and protein levels, respectively. κ-Carrageenan aggravated oxazolone-induced intestinal inflammation in BALB/c mice. This effect is associated with an activation of the TLR4-NF-κB pathway, a decreased ratio of Tregs, and the induction of Th2-dependent immune responses. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 28 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Researcher | 5 | 18% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 4 | 14% |
Student > Master | 3 | 11% |
Other | 3 | 11% |
Student > Postgraduate | 2 | 7% |
Other | 3 | 11% |
Unknown | 8 | 29% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 8 | 29% |
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 3 | 11% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 2 | 7% |
Environmental Science | 1 | 4% |
Unspecified | 1 | 4% |
Other | 4 | 14% |
Unknown | 9 | 32% |