Oral administration of yeast β-glucan ameliorates inflammation and intestinal barrier in dextran sodium sulfate-induced acute colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is characterized by relapsing inflammation and dysfunction within the gastrointestinal tract. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of yeast β-glucan on regulating inflammation and disruption of the epithelial barrier in colitis caused by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Oral administration of yeast β-glucan reduced clinical symptoms, inflammatory infiltrates and cell apoptosis in the colon epithelium, ameliorated intestinal permeability and the structural integrity of tight junctions. Moreover, treatment with yeast β-glucan not only decreased myeloperoxidase, eosinophil peroxidase and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase levels, but also modified the immune status characterized by the change in immunoglobulin levels in DSS-treated mice. These results suggest that yeast β-glucan improves DSS-induced changes in mucosal inflammatory lesions and the intestinal barrier by inhibiting the expression of inflammatory mediators and enhancing the expression of tight junction proteins associated with intestinal permeability.