D-beta-hydroxybutyrate up-regulates Claudin-1 and alleviates the intestinal hyperpermeability in lipopolysaccharide-treated mice

The hyperpermeability of intestinal epithelium is a key contributor to the occurrence and development of systemic inflammation. Although D-beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) exhibits various protective effects, whether it affects the permeability of intestinal epithelium in systemic inflammation has not been clarified. In this study, we investigated the effects of BHB on the intestinal epithelial permeability, the epithelial marker E-cadherin and the tight junction protein Claudin-1 in colon in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced systemic inflammation mouse model. Intraperitoneal injection of LPS was used to induce systemic inflammation and BHB was given by oral administration. The permeability of intestinal epithelium, the morphological changes of colonic epithelium, the distribution and generation of colon E-cadherin, and the Claudin-1 generation and its epithelial distribution in colon were detected. The results confirmed the intestinal epithelial hyperpermeability and inflammatory changes in colonic epithelium, with disturbed E-cadherin distribution in LPS-treated mice. Besides, colon Claudin-1 generation was decreased and its epithelial distribution in colon was weakened in LPS-treated mice. However, BHB treatments alleviated the LPS-induced hyperpermeability of intestinal epithelium, attenuated the colonic epithelial morphological changes and promoted orderly distribution of E-cadherin in colon. Furthermore, BHB up-regulated colon Claudin-1 generation and promoted its colonic epithelial distribution and content in LPS-treated mice. In conclusion, BHB may alleviate the hyperpermeability of intestinal epithelium via up-regulation of Claudin-1 in colon in LPS-treated mice.