Administration of Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis polysaccharide attenuates cisplatin‐induced inflammation and intestinal mucosal damage in colon‐26 carcinoma tumor‐bearing mice

Abstract BACKGROUND Our preliminary research revealed that the polysaccharide GP90 from Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis enhanced the antitumor effect of cisplatin, indicating that GP90 may increase the chemotherapeutic sensitivity. However, it is still necessary to fully understand whether GP90 can also improve the intestinal barrier dysfunction and systemic inflammation induced by cisplatin. RESULTS GP90 has been demonstrated to inhibit the excessive release of nitirc oxide, interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α induced by lipopolysaccharide in RAW264.7 cells. In vivo , GP90 effectively ameliorated the decrease in the serum CD4 + /CD8 + T‐cell ratio induced by cisplatin and significantly reduced the increase in the inflammatory cytokines, CD4 + Foxp3 + , CD4 + granzyme B + and CD4 + TNF‐α induced by cisplatin. Furthermore, when combined with cisplatin, GP90 increases the protein expression levels of mucin‐2 and zonula occludens‐1 in the mouse small intestine. Additionally, GP90 combined with cisplatin has a modulatory effect on the intestinal microbiota by elevating the Firmicutes‐to‐Bacteroidetes ratio and the relative abundance of beneficial microorganisms ( Lachnospiraceae bacterium ), at the same time as reducing the abundance of cisplatin specific Bacteroides acidifaciens and elevating the content of butyric acid and isobutyric acid. CONCLUSION Collectively, these findings indicate that GP90 potentially mitigates inflammation and protects the intestinal barrier in tumor‐bearing organisms undergoing chemotherapy. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.