J Functional Foods. 10, 117-127 (2014)

The fermented extract OM-X contributed to suppress the inflammatory reactions in intestines and recovered intestinal epithelial cells of the infected mice with the pathogen

The results of a collaborative research with University of Lille Nord de France have been published in the Journal of Functional Foods.

Study 1:

【Objective】

We examined the anti-inflammatory effect of the OM-X extract by using mouse models with bowel inflammation induced by the infection with Citrobacter rodentium which is a mouse pathogen.

【Methods】

We prepared mouse models with bowel inflammation induced by Citrobacter rodentium in both groups with and without administration of the OM-X extract in order to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of the OM-X extract. After completion of the dosing period, we observed the subject groups with respect to enteritis scores and gene expressions of immune cells which are involved in inflammation and anti-inflammatory activities.

【Results】

The group that was given the OM-X extract and infected with the pathogen showed a tendency to reduce the inflammation score.

Once the subjects are infected with pathogens, they trigger overactive immune responses which in turn invoke inflammation. The group that was given the OM-X extract before the inoculation of the pathogen showed a significant increment in FoxP3 expression; the index of Treg cells which play an important role in anti-inflammatory activities. Moreover, the expression of IL-10 which is an anti-inflammatory cytokine significantly increased.

Study 2:

【Objective】

We examined the contribution of the OM-X extract for the recovery of epithelial cells in the intestine of mouse models with a leaky gut symptom induced by the infection with mouse pathogen.

【Methods】

We destroyed the epithelial cells in the mice intestines and administered orally Citrobacter rodentium in order to prepare the mouse models with a leaky gut symptom. Then, we confirmed the conditions of the epithelial cells through the examinations on the gene expression that is involved in the tight junctions and the cellular proliferative potential by pigmenting the epithelial cells.

【Results】

The group that was given the OM-X extract showed a significant increment of the gene expression of ZO-1 and ZO-2 proteins associated with tight junctions where they join two cells together in the intestines.

At the time of infection with the pathogen, the control group showed little pigmentation on the cells indicating the cellular proliferative potential, but the group that was given the OM-X extract showed a lot of pigmentation on the cells. These results suggested that the destructed epithelial cells in the intestines recovered over the active cellular proliferative.