Molecular Mechanisms Associated with Protecting IEC‐6 Cells from Acrylamide‐Induced Tight Junction Damage by Ganoderma atrum Polysaccharide

Scope The previous in vivo studies show Ganoderma atrum polysaccharide (PSG‐F 2 ) has a protective effect against the acrylamide (AA)‐induced intestinal oxidative damage in rats. Now, this study aims to explore the protective mechanism with IEC‐6 cell model. Methods and results Based on RNA Sequencing (RNA‐Seq), the study screens MAPK signaling pathway as one of the most crucial pathways for pretreatment with PSG‐F 2 against AA‐induced damage in IEC‐6 cells. In total, six key MAPK signaling pathway‐related proteins (p‐P38/P38, p‐ERK/ERK, and p‐JNK/JNK), and three tight junction key proteins ( Zonula Occludens protein‐1, Claudin ‐1, and Occludin ) are detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence, which verify the RNA‐Seq data. Moreover, PD98059 interference inhibits critical proteins in the MAPK signaling pathway, thus uncovering the precise molecular mechanisms of MAPK/ERK signaling pathway involve in the protective effects of PSG‐F 2 against AA‐induced intestinal barrier damage. Conclusion These findings confirm that PSG‐F 2 can be used as a daily dietary supplement to protect the intestinal cells from damage caused by thermal processing hazards AA.