Fucoxanthin Alleviates Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis and Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis in Mice.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the preventive role and underlying mechanisms of fucoxanthin (Fx) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. The present data demonstrated that oral administration of Fx (50 and 200 mg/kg body weight/day) for 36 days significantly alleviated the severity of colitis in DSS-treated mice, as evidenced by attenuating body weight loss, bloody stool, diarrhea, shortened colon length, colonic epithelium distortion, a thin mucus layer, goblet cell depletion, damaged crypts, and extensive infiltration of inflammatory cells in the colonic mucosa. Additionally, Fx notably relieved DSS-induced intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction via maintaining the tight junction function and preventing excessive apoptosis of colonic epithelial cells. Moreover, Fx effectively diminished colonic inflammation and oxidative stress in DSS-treated mice, and its mechanisms might be due to blunting the activation of NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathways. Furthermore, Fx also modulates DSS-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis via recovering the richness and diversity of gut microbiota and reshaping the structure of gut microbiota, such as increasing the Firmicutes and Bacteroidota (F/B) ratio and elevating the relative abundance of some potential beneficial bacteria, including Lactobacillaceae and Lachnospiraceae. Overall, Fx might be developed as a promising functional ingredient to prevent colitis and maintain intestinal homeostasis.

Eicosapentaenoic Acid-Enriched Phospholipids Alleviate Skeletal Muscle Atrophy in Lewis Lung Carcinoma Mouse Model.

SCOPE: Skeletal muscle atrophy is a critical feature of cancer-associated cachexia (CAC) and it is responsible for poor quality of life and high mortality in cancer patients. The previous study demonstrates that eicosapentaenoic acid-enriched phospholipids (EPA-PL) prevent body weight loss in a mouse model of CAC. However, the role of EPA-PL on cancer-induced skeletal muscle atrophy remains unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the present study, a Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) mouse model is established, then the effect and underlying mechanism of EPA-PL on skeletal muscle atrophy in LLC-bearing mice are investigated. The results reveal that EPA-PL treatment significantly attenuates skeletal muscle atrophy in LLC-bearing mice, as evidenced by suppressing the reductions of skeletal muscle mass, myofiber cross-sectional area, and grip strength. Besides, the study finds that EPA-PL alleviated cancer-induced skeletal muscle atrophy via balancing muscle protein degradation and synthesis, inhibiting type I oxidative muscle fibers atrophy, and promoting mitochondrial function. Furthermore, the results also indicate that EPA-PL may counteract skeletal muscle atrophy in LLC mouse model via a sirtuin 1-dependent mechanism. CONCLUSION: These findings provide evidence that EPA-PL may be beneficial as a nutritional supplement for prevention and treatment of cancer-induced skeletal muscle atrophy.

DHA-Enriched Phospholipids and EPA-Enriched Phospholipids Alleviate Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Intestinal Barrier Injury in Mice via a Sirtuin 1-Dependent Mechanism.

Intestinal barrier dysfunction has emerged as a potential contributor to the development of several severe diseases. Herein, the effect and underlying mechanism of DHA-enriched phospholipids (DHA-PL) and EPA-enriched phospholipids (EPA-PL) on protecting against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal barrier injury were elucidated. C57BL/6J male mice were fed an AIN-93G diet containing 1% DHA-PL or EPA-PL for 4 weeks and then were intraperitoneally injected with LPS (10 mg/kg) to cause intestinal barrier injury. The results manifested that DHA-PL and EPA-PL pretreatment balanced apoptosis and autophagy in intestinal epithelial cells and maintained intestinal tight junction integrity. Our findings also demonstrated that cotreatment with EX-527, a sirtuin 1 specific inhibitor, hindered the role of DHA-PL and EPA-PL against LPS-evoked intestinal barrier injury through reversing the inhibitory action of them on NF-κB and MAPKs activation as well as their potentiating actions on Nrf2 nuclear translocation. Overall, DHA-PL and EPA-PL alleviated LPS-mediated intestinal barrier injury via inactivation of the NF-κB and MAPKs pathways as well as activating the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway via up-regulating sirtuin 1.