| Objective:To study the intervention effect of Astragalus polysaccharide(APS),the active ingredient of astragalus mongholicus,a medicinal and edible Traditional Chinese Medicine,on the material metabolism of rats with the syndrome of Spleen Deficiency with Dampness Encumbrance(SDDE),and to explore the action mechanism of APS in correcting the material metabolism disorder of the body due to the disorder of spleen deficiency and water dampness transportation and transformation through intestinal mucosal permeability,aiming to provide a scientific basis for the development of APS health food and the implementation of dietary care in people with the syndrome of SDDE.Methods:Four-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control and experimental group.The experimental group was modeled with the syndrome of SDDE using a special high-fat and low-protein diet and exhaustive swimming to simulate factors such as diet misconduct and overwork for eight weeks.After successful model replication,the experimental groups were randomly divided into the model group,Shenling Baizhu group(SLBZ),Astragalus polysaccharide low dose group(APS-L),Astragalus polysaccharide medium dose group(APS-M),and Astragalus polysaccharide high dose group(APS-H).The rats in the administration group were given Shenling Baizhu solution and astragalus polysaccharide low,medium and high dose solutions by gavage continuously for two weeks.The body weight,general condition score,load-bearing endurance swimming time,general metabolism level and organ index were observed and recorded,and the serum levels of Cholesterol(CHO),triglyceride(TG),Low-density lipoprotein(LDL),High-density lipoprotein(HDL)and Albumin(ALB)in each group were detected.The intestinal mucosal permeability of rats in each group was measured by the FITC-Dextran method.The changes in tight junction structure in the duodenum tissue of rats in each group were observed by transmission electron microscope.The expression levels of Claudin-2,Occludin,ZO-1,ERK1/2,p-ERK1/2,MLCK,and p-MLC2 proteins in the small intestinal tissue of rats in each group were detected by Western Blot rats in each group were observed by transmission electron microscope.The expression levels of Claudin-2,Occludin,ZO-1,ERK1/2,p-ERK1/2,MLCK,and p-MLC2 proteins in the small intestinal tissue of rats in each group were detected by Western Blot.Results:1.The comprehensive general condition score of rats with the syndrome of SDDE was significantly increased(P<0.01),and the body weight was significantly decreased(P< 0.01).After the intervention treatment,the body weight and swimming time were significantly increased and the comprehensive general condition score was significantly decreased in in SLBZ group,APS-L group,APS-M group and APS-H group(P<0.01).2.The general metabolic levels were decreased,and the organ index,CHO and LDL levels in the serum of rats with SDDE were significantly increased(P<0.01),while the increase in TG content was not significant,but the ALB content was significantly decreased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the amount of drinking water,urine and feces of rats in the SLBZ group and the APS-L,APS-M and APS-H groups were increased,the organ index was decreased,and the serum TG content was decreased significantly(P<0.05,P<0.01).The CHO and LDL contents in the APS-M group and APS-H group decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01).The CHO and LDL contents in the APS-L group were not significantly reduced.The serum ALB contents of rats in the SLBZ group,APS-L group,APS-M group and APS-H group increased significantly(P < 0.01).The serum HDL contents of rats in the SLBZ group,APS-L group and APS-M group increased significantly(P<0.01).3.After APS intervention in rats with the syndrome of SDDE,the intestinal permeability of rats in the SLBZ group,APS-L group and APS-H group was significantly reduced(P<0.01).The transmission electron microscope showed that the tight junction between the intestinal epithelial cells was in the shape of a high electron density band and the structure was significantly improved after the intervention with APS.4.Compared with the model group,the expression level of Claudin-2 protein in intestinal tissue of rats in the SLBZ and APS dose groups decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01).In contrast,the expression level of ZO-1 protein was significantly increased(P<0.01).The levels of Occludin in the intestinal tissue of rats in the SLBZ group and the APS-L and APS-M groups were increased significantly(P<0.05,P<0.01).5.The expression levels of critical factors p-ERK1/2,ERK1/2,p-MLC2 and MLCK protein in the ERK/MLCK signaling pathway were decreased significantly after APS intervention in rats with the syndrome of SDDE(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion:1.The model rats with SDDE established by simulating diet and environmental factors exhibited apparent symptoms related to abnormal transportation and transformation of spleen deficiency and water dampness.The APS,a practical component of astragalus mongholicus,a medicinal and edible homolog,can improve the body weight,general condition,swimming time,general metabolic level,organ index and biochemical blood index of the model rats with SDDE and effectively disorder the metabolism of substances in the body due to spleen deficiency and water dampness non-transformation.2.APS can reduce the permeability of intestinal mucosa in rats of SDDE and improve the tight junction of the intestinal mucosa,which is beneficial to the development of intestinal mucosal barrier function.3.APS mediates the expression of intestinal tight junction proteins by regulating ERK/MLCK signaling pathway,thereby improving the permeability of intestinal mucosa and substance metabolism disorder of SDDE,further revealing that APS is the material basis for the medicinal and edible Astragalus membranaceus to exert the effects of invigorating the spleen and removing dampness,providing a scientific basis for developing the APS health food and its application and promotion in clinical chinese medicine diet care. |
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