关键词: 发酵麸皮多糖, 空肠, 抗氧化能力, 紧密连接蛋白, 大鼠

Abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of oral supplementation with fermented wheat bran polysaccharides (FWBPs) on antioxidant capacity, morphological structure and tight junction protein expression in the jejunum of weaned rat pups. Forty healthy weaned Wistar rats with similar body mass were randomly assigned to five groups, including control (saline), VC (positive control, 100 mg/kg mb), and low-, medium- and high-dose FWBPs groups (20、40、80 mg/kg mb in a dosage of 0.4 mL). The experimental duration was 21 days. The total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities, and glutathione (GSH) and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) contents in jejunum were measured. Histopathological examination with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to analyze villus height and crypt depth, and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth was calculated. The mRNA expression of the tight junction proteins Claudin-1, Occludin and zonula occludens-1 were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The results showed that oral administration of FWBPs at 40 mg/kg mb significantly improved T-AOC, CAT, SOD and GSH-Px activities and GSH content in jejunum (P < 0.05), and significantly decreased the content of 8-OHdG (P < 0.05). FWBPs increased the villus height and decreased crypt depth, thus resulting in increased villus height/crypt depth ratio. The mRNA expression of the tight junction proteins in the jejunum was significantly up-regulated in the FWBPs groups. In summary, fermented wheat bran polysaccharides can improve the antioxidant capacity and jejunal morphology and promote the expression of itght junction proteins, thereby preserving intestinal health in weaned rats.

Key words: fermented wheat bran polysaccharide, jejunum, antioxidant capacity, tight junction protein, rats