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Cyclophosphamide (cy) is a widely used cancer drug. Many researchers have focused on the prevention and alleviation of its side effects, particularly damage to the intestinal mucosal barrier. In this study, we examined the effects of fucoidan, isolated from Acaudina molpadioides, on mice with intestinal mucosal damage induced by cyclophosphamide. Our results showed that fucoidan intervention could relieve injury such as decreasing inflammation and increasing the expression of tight junction proteins, and 50 kDa fucoidan significantly increased the abundance of short chain fatty acid (SCFA) producer Coprococcus, Rikenella, and Butyricicoccus (p < 0.05, p < 0.001, and p < 0.05, respectively) species within the intestinal mucosa compared with the cyclophosphamide group, as determined by 16S rDNA gene high-throughput sequencing. In addition, SCFAs, particularly propionate, butyrate, and total SCFAs, were increased in the feces, and SCFA receptors were upregulated in the small intestine. The protective effects of fucoidan on cyclophosphamide treatment may be associated with gut microflora, and 50 kDa fucoidan had superior effects. Therefore, fucoidan may have applications as an effective supplement to protect against intestinal mucosal barrier damage during chemotherapy.

BackgroundExpression of the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR), a transporter of polymeric IgA and IgM, is commonly increased in response to viral or bacterial infections, linking innate and adaptive immunity. Abnormal expression of pIgR in cancer was also observed, but its clinical relevance remains uncertain.MethodsA human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue microarray (n = 254) was used to investigate the association between pIgR expression and early recurrence. An experimental lung metastasis model using severe combined immune-deficient mice was applied to determine the metastatic potential of Madin–Darby canine kidney (n = 5 mice per group) and SMMC-7721 (n = 12 mice per group) cells overexpressing pIgR vs control cells. RNA interference, immunoprecipitation, and immunoblotting were performed to investigate the potential role for pIgR in the induction of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). In vitro studies (co-immunoprecipitation, immunoblotting, and migration, invasion, and adhesion assays) were used to determine the mechanisms behind pIgR-mediated metastasis. All statistical tests were two-sided.ResultsHigh expression of pIgR was statistically significantly associated with early recurrence in early-stage HCC and in hepatitis B surface antigen–positive HCC patients (log-rank P = .02). Mice injected with pIgR-overexpressing cells had a statistically significantly higher number of lung metastases compared with respective control cells (Madin–Darby canine kidney cells: pIgR mean = 29.4 metastatic nodules per lung vs control mean = 0.0 metastatic nodules per lung, difference = 29.4 metastatic nodules per lung, 95% confidence interval = 13.0 to 45.8, P = .001; SMMC-7721 cells: pIgR mean = 10.4 metastatic nodules per lung vs control mean = 2.2 metastatic nodules per lung, difference = 8.2 metastatic nodules per lung, 95% confidence interval = 1.0 to 15.5, P = .03). Furthermore, high expression of pIgR was sufficient to induce EMT through activation of Smad signaling.ConclusionspIgR plays a role in the induction of EMT. Our results identify pIgR as a potential link between hepatitis B virus–derived hepatitis and HCC metastasis and provide evidence in support of pIgR as a prognostic biomarker for HCC and a potential therapeutic target.

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Mucositis is a common problem that results from cancer chemotherapy and is a cause of significant morbidity and occasional mortality. Its prevention and successful treatment can significantly enhance the quality of life of patients and improve their survival. Sea cucumber is a traditional aquatic food that has both nutritional and medicinal value. The polysaccharide fucoidan from the sea cucumber (SC-FUC) has various bioactivities. We examined the protective effect of different molecular weights (MWs 50 kDa-500 kDa) of fucoidan from the sea cucumber, Acaudina molpadioides, in a mouse model of cyclophosphamide (Cy)-induced intestinal mucositis. Results showed that the oral administration of SC-FUC markedly reversed Cy-induced damage in the mice. The sea cucumber fucoidan notably increased the ratio of the length of the intestinal villus to the crypt depth and ameliorated the IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio that signifies Th1/Th2 immune balance. Moreover, all the fucoidans in this study enhanced the expression of IgA by accelerating the expression of IL-6 that is probably combined with IL-10. The differing effects of the varied molecular weights of fucoidan may be due to the difference in the efficiency of absorption. This is a novel study on the potential preventive effects of SC-FUC on intestinal mucositis that may be related to the efficiency of its absorption during digestion. Sea cucumber fucoidan (SC-FUC) may be used as a potential food supplement to prevent chemotherapeutic mucositis.

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) has been widely used for medical and nutraceutical purposes due to its roles in maintaining tissue structural integrity. We investigated if CS disaccharides may act as a bioactive compound and modulate gut microbial composition in mice. Our data show that CS disaccharides supplementation for 16 days significantly reduced blood LPS in the mice experiencing exhaustive exercise stress. CS disaccharides partially restored total fecal short-chain fatty acids from the level significantly repressed in mice under the stress. Our findings demonstrated that CS was likely butyrogenic and resulted in a significant increase in fecal butyrate concentration. CS disaccharides had a profound impact on gut microbial composition, affecting the abundance of 13.6% and 7.3% Operational Taxonomic Units in fecal microbial communities in healthy and stressed mice, respectively. CS disaccharides reduced the prevalence of inflammatory Proteobacteria. Together, our findings demonstrated that CS may ameliorate stress-induced intestinal inflammation. Furthermore, CS significantly increased intestinal Bacteroides acidifaciens population, indirectly exerting its immunomodulatory effect on the intestine. CS disaccharides had a significant impact on a broad range of biological pathways under stressed condition, such as ABC transporters, two-component systems, and carbohydrate metabolism. Our results will facilitate the development of CS as a bioactive nutraceutical.

Background: The anti-inflammatory property of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) has been exploited in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with promising results. However, it remains unclear if PUFA play a significant role in the resolution of inflammation and promotion of mucosal healing. Krill oil (KO) is a natural product rich in PUFA and the potent antioxidant, astaxanthin. In this study, we attempted to understand the mechanisms through which KO modulates the gut microbiome and metabolome using in vitro and in vivo colitis models and a multi-omics based approach. Results: KO significantly decreased LPS-induced IL1β and TNFα expression in human macrophages in vitro in a dosedependent manner by regulating a broad spectrum of signaling pathways, including NF-κB and NOD-like receptor signaling, and displayed a synergistic effect with COX2 and IKK2 inhibitors in attenuating inflammatory pathways. Moreover, KO was involved in the resolution of inflammation by promoting M2 polarization and enhancing macrophagemediated intracellular bacterial killing. Parasite-dependent intestinal mucosal damage and microbial dysbiosis induced by Trichuris suis infection in pigs were partially restored by feeding KO. KO supplementation reduced the abundance of Rickettsiales and several species of Lactobacillus, which were among the important features identified by random forests analysis contributing to classification accuracy for KO supplementation. Several microbial signatures with strong predictive power for the status of both infection and supplementation were identified. The inhibitory effect of KO on histidine metabolism was identified using untargeted metabolomics. KO supplementation reduced several key metabolites related to histamine metabolism by suppressing the expression of a gene encoding L-histidine decarboxylase in the colon mucosa and reducing histamine biosynthesis of microbial origin. Moreover, the pro-resolving properties of KO were validated using a Citrobacter rodentium-induced Th1-dependent colitis murine model. Further, microbial signatures with high prediction accuracy for colitis-related pathophysiological traits were identified in mice.

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