Resveratrol enhances intestinal barrier function by ameliorating barrier disruption in Caco-2 cell monolayers

It has been shown that some polyphenols participate in barrier regulation. Here, we investigated the effects of resveratrol on Caco-2 cell monolayers, with a focus on the modulation of tight junction (TJ) structure. The effects of resveratrol on barrier impairment in the cells following treatment with H2O2 and interleukin (IL)-6 were investigated. Measurement of transepithelial electrical resistance showed that resveratrol enhances TJ barrier integrity. Immunoblot and immunofluorescence analyses revealed that resveratrol upregulates the expression of TJ proteins and their distribution in the cytoskeletal fraction. Furthermore, resveratrol ameliorated H2O2-induced epithelial barrier disruption in the Caco-2 cell model of oxidative-stress-induced barrier impairment by inhibiting tyrosine phosphorylation of occludin. It was found that resveratrol mitigated IL-6-induced hyperpermeability in the inflamed cell model by downregulating claudin-2 expression. The results show that resveratrol enhances TJ barrier integrity and mediates TJ barrier protection against damage induced by oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokines in Caco-2 cells.