Oxyresveratrol protective effects against deoxynivalenol-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction and bacterial translocation on porcine intestinal epithelial IPEC-J2 cells

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a major mycotoxin contaminant and is known to impair intestinal barrier function. Previous experiments in our laboratory have proven that polyphenols such as resveratrol (RES) may be effective in enhancing epithelial barrier function. Due to the structural similarity of oxyresveratrol (OXY) with RES, it was hypothesized that OXY could also protect against DON-induced intestinal damage. Accordingly, this study aimed to explore potential protective effects of OXY against DON-induced epithelial barrier dysfunction and bacterial translocation on IPEC-J2 cells, in comparison to resveratrol (RES).The results showed that OXY increased transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and reduced FD-4 diffusion, whereas DON reduced TEER and increased FD-4 diffusion in IPEC-J2 cells. On the other hand, OXY reduced FD-4 diffusion in DON-damaged cells but showed no significant difference in terms of TEER. Such protective effects coincided with the significantly reduced E. coli translocation in cells co-exposed to DON and OXY. Further mechanistic studies demonstrated that OXY protected against DON-induced barrier dysfunction by enhancing the expression of claudin-4 via mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)-dependent pathways. Apparently, OXY worked through the same way as RES did, with results dovetailed nicely with anticipation. These results imply that OXY may share similar health benefits with RES by enhancing epithelial barrier functions and protecting against DON-induced intestinal damage.