Protective Mechanism offrom Fuzhuan Brick Tea against Colitis and Gut-Derived Liver Injury Induced by Dextran Sulfate Sodium in C57BL/6 Mice.

Abstract

The study explored the potential protective impact of the probiotic fungusin Fuzhuan brick tea on ulcerative colitis, along with the underlying mechanism. A spore suspension ofwas administered to C57BL/6 mice to alleviate DSS-induced colitis. The findings indicated that administeringevidently enhanced the ultrastructure of colonic epithelium, showing characteristics such as enhanced TJ length, reduced microvilli damage, and enlarged intercellular space. After HLL supplementation, the activation of the liver inflammation pathway, including TLR4/NF-kB and NLRP3 inflammasome caused by DSS, was significantly suppressed, and bile acid metabolism, linking liver and gut, was enhanced, manifested by restoration of bile acid receptor (FXR, TGR5) level. The dysbiosis of the gut microbes in colitis mice was also restored by HLL intervention, characterized by the enrichment of beneficial bacteria (,,, and) and fungi (,,,, and), which was closely associated with lipid metabolism and amino acid metabolism, and was negatively correlated with inflammatory gene expression. Hence, the recovery of gut microbial community structure, implicated deeply in the inflammatory index and metabolites profile, might play a crucial role in the therapeutic mechanism of HLL on colitis.