D-galacturonic acid ameliorates the intestinal mucosal permeability and inflammation of functional dyspepsia in rats.

Background: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a gastrointestinal disease caused by imbalanced gastrointestinal function. Traditional treatments are deemed to be limited, and new therapeutic drugs are required. New study suggested that duodenal low-grade inflammation and increased intestinal permeability play an important role in the pathogenesis of FD. Previous studies have shown that polysaccharides containing D-galacturonic acid (GA) could modulate intestinal immune activity in vitro and in animal models. However, the ability of GA monomer to improve intestinal mucosal permeability and inflammation in FD has not been clearly elucidated.

Methods: A FD rat model was established using iodoacetamide (IA). FD Rats were administrated different doses of GA. Subsequently, the body weight and behavioral sensitivity of the rats were measured and evaluated; the permeability of the intestinal barrier was measured by determining D-lactose, lactulose/mannitol ratio (LMR), and permeability-related genes [desmocollin-2 (DSC2), TJP1, and OCLN] in FD rats. Also, inflammatory cells [cluster of differentiation (CD)3+ cells and mast cells] were assessed by immunohistochemistry, and the levels of immune-related factors, such as the Toll-like receptor-nuclear factor kappa B (TLR/NF-κB) pathway, were monitored by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) or western blot assays.

Results: Our results suggested that GA could markedly increase the body weight and attenuate the behavioral sensitivity of FD rats. Moreover, GA also has an obvious ameliorating effect on the intestinal mucosal permeability and inflammatory response of FD rats. Furthermore, we found that GA could markedly downregulate TLR2, TLR4, and NF-κB in FD rats.

Conclusions: These findings indicate that GA could significantly attenuate the intestinal mucosal permeability and inflammation FD rats. The effect of GA was partially mediated by the TLR/NF-κB signaling pathway.