Pakravan Nafiseh, Kermanian Fatemeh, Mahmoudi Elaheh
Division of Immunology, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.
Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.
Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2019 Oct;22(10):1158-1165. doi: 10.22038/ijbms.2019.36189.8622.
Zonula occludens proteins (ZO-1 and ZO-2) are important intracellular tight junction (TJ)-associated proteins that link the cell cytoskeleton to the trans-membrane TJ proteins. Destruction of TJ proteins is called the "leaky gut syndrome" and has been observed in some of the gastrointestinal diseases such as the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). So, therapeutic approaches aim to restore the expression of TJ proteins and reduce intestinal permeability. Healing effect of Kombucha tea (KT), so-called long-life mushroom, on the gastrointestinal system, particularly its extraordinary healing effects on intestinal ulcers has been purported traditionally and rarely reported scientifically. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of filtered KT (fKT) in young and old mice model of colitis.
Leaky gut was induced in two groups of young and old age using dextran sodium sulfate in drinking water for seven days. Then, fKT was administered to the mice affected by colitis and compared with the age-matched normal and untreated animals with colitis.
Survival rate of the fKT-treated young and old animals with colitis increased and weight loss decreased. Accordingly, digestive disorders characterized by bleeding and diarrhea were improved in fKT-treated mice. Molecular and histological examination indicated that expression of ZO-1 and ZO-2 was significantly improved in fKT-treated mice.
Our results suggest KT as a promising therapeutic candidate to reduce intestinal permeability. Young animals with colitis showed more severe clinical signs and less survival rate than old mice with colitis, but this group responded better to fKT treatment than the old mice.
闭合蛋白（ZO-1和ZO-2）是重要的细胞内紧密连接（TJ）相关蛋白，可将细胞骨架与跨膜TJ蛋白相连。TJ蛋白的破坏被称为“肠漏综合征”，在一些胃肠道疾病如炎症性肠病（IBD）中可见。因此，治疗方法旨在恢复TJ蛋白的表达并降低肠道通透性。传统上认为康普茶（KT），即所谓的长寿蘑菇，对胃肠系统具有治疗作用，特别是其对肠道溃疡具有非凡的愈合效果，但鲜有科学报道。本研究旨在探讨过滤后的康普茶（fKT）对年轻和老年小鼠结肠炎模型的治疗效果。
两组年轻和老年小鼠通过饮用含葡聚糖硫酸钠的水7天诱导肠漏。然后，将fKT给予患结肠炎的小鼠，并与年龄匹配的正常小鼠以及未治疗的结肠炎小鼠进行比较。
接受fKT治疗的患结肠炎的年轻和老年动物存活率增加，体重减轻减少。相应地，接受fKT治疗的小鼠以出血和腹泻为特征的消化紊乱得到改善。分子和组织学检查表明，接受fKT治疗的小鼠中ZO-1和ZO-2的表达显著改善。
我们的结果表明KT有望成为降低肠道通透性的治疗候选物。患结肠炎的年轻动物比患结肠炎的老年小鼠表现出更严重的临床症状和更低的存活率，但该组对fKT治疗的反应比老年小鼠更好。
