Dong Jiaqi, Li Xiaoli, Xiao Wei, Zhang Xiaosong, Ji Peng, Wei Yanming
College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, China.
Life (Basel). 2025 May 23;15(6):841. doi: 10.3390/life15060841.
Heat stress has become a significant challenge in animal husbandry and human health, posing significant threats to both livestock and human health and profoundly impacting agricultural productivity. Sheng Mai San has been shown to effectively alleviate heat stress, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, this study established a heat stress model and employed Sheng Mai San as an intervention, with NAC as the positive control. Using histopathological analysis, Western blotting, ELISA, and 16S rDNA sequencing, we investigated the protective effects of Sheng Mai San against heat-stress-induced cardiac and intestinal injuries, as well as gut microbiota dysbiosis. The results demonstrated that heat stress-induced cardiac injury primarily occurred within 6-12 h of the cessation of heat stress. This injury was manifested by a significant elevation in the cardiac index, accompanied by attenuated expression of cardiac antioxidants (GSH, SOD, CAT, and T-AOC) and increased MDA content. Following Sheng Mai San intervention, the cardiac index was reduced, antioxidant indices (GSH, SOD, and CAT) were significantly elevated, and MDA and inflammatory markers (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) were markedly decreased. Additionally, Sheng Mai San was found to activate the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway in the heart. Sheng Mai San demonstrated significant protective effects on small intestinal morphology, attenuating pathological alterations while promoting goblet cell proliferation. Analysis of the gut microbiota revealed that Sheng Mai San increased the Chao1, ACE, Shannon, and Simpson indices while reducing the abundance of harmful bacteria, such as , , , , and . Additionally, it promoted the expression of beneficial bacteria, including and . In summary, Sheng Mai San alleviates heat stress-induced cardiac hypertrophy and restores the oxidative stress balance in the heart. It also mitigates pathological damage in the small intestine, enhances the diversity and richness of the gut microbiota, and ameliorates gut microbiota dysbiosis. These findings highlight the significance of the heart-small intestine-gut microbiota axis in the protective effects of Sheng Mai San against heat stress injury. This study provides a potential therapeutic approach for heat-stress-related diseases and offers insights into the development of anti-heat-stress drugs.
热应激已成为畜牧业和人类健康中的一项重大挑战，对家畜和人类健康均构成重大威胁，并深刻影响农业生产力。已证明生脉散能有效缓解热应激，但其潜在机制仍不清楚。因此，本研究建立了热应激模型，并采用生脉散作为干预措施，以NAC作为阳性对照。通过组织病理学分析、蛋白质免疫印迹法、酶联免疫吸附测定和16S rDNA测序，我们研究了生脉散对热应激诱导的心脏和肠道损伤以及肠道微生物群失调的保护作用。结果表明，热应激诱导的心脏损伤主要发生在热应激停止后的6 - 12小时内。这种损伤表现为心脏指数显著升高，同时心脏抗氧化剂（谷胱甘肽、超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶和总抗氧化能力）的表达减弱，丙二醛含量增加。生脉散干预后，心脏指数降低，抗氧化指标（谷胱甘肽、超氧化物歧化酶和过氧化氢酶）显著升高，丙二醛和炎症标志物（白细胞介素-1β、白细胞介素-6和肿瘤坏死因子-α）明显降低。此外，发现生脉散可激活心脏中的Keap1 - Nrf2信号通路。生脉散对小肠形态具有显著的保护作用，减轻病理改变，同时促进杯状细胞增殖。对肠道微生物群的分析表明，生脉散增加了Chao1、ACE、香农和辛普森指数，同时降低了如[此处原文缺失部分有害菌名称]等有害细菌的丰度。此外，它促进了包括[此处原文缺失部分有益菌名称]等有益细菌的表达。总之，生脉散可减轻热应激诱导的心脏肥大，恢复心脏中的氧化应激平衡。它还减轻小肠的病理损伤，增强肠道微生物群的多样性和丰富度，并改善肠道微生物群失调。这些发现突出了心-小肠-肠道微生物群轴在生脉散对热应激损伤的保护作用中的重要性。本研究为热应激相关疾病提供了一种潜在的治疗方法，并为抗热应激药物的开发提供了思路。
