Ghrelin protects small intestinal epithelium against sepsis-induced injury by enhancing the autophagy of intestinal epithelial cells

Abstract Background Ghrelin is a hormone that protects against hypoxic injury of cardiac cells by inducing autophagy, but the role of autophagy in sepsis remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether ghrelin could enhance autophagy in rats with intestinal sepsis. Methods The cecal ligation a...

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Published in:Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy 2016-10, Vol.83, p.1315-1320
Main Authors: Wan, Sheng-Xia, Shi, Bin, PhD, Lou, Xiao-Li, Liu, Jing-Quan, Ma, Guo-guang, Liang, Dong-Yu, Ma, Shuang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Autophagy
Autophagy - drug effects
Autophagy - physiology
Ghrelin
Ghrelin - pharmacology
Ghrelin - therapeutic use
Internal Medicine
Intestinal Mucosa - drug effects
Intestinal Mucosa - pathology
Intestine, Small - drug effects
Intestine, Small - pathology
Medical Education
Protective Agents - pharmacology
Protective Agents - therapeutic use
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Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Sepsis
Sepsis - pathology
Sepsis - prevention & control
Small intestine
The cecal ligation and perforation
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Summary:Abstract Background Ghrelin is a hormone that protects against hypoxic injury of cardiac cells by inducing autophagy, but the role of autophagy in sepsis remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether ghrelin could enhance autophagy in rats with intestinal sepsis. Methods The cecal ligation and perforation (CLP) method was used to induce sepsis in Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were assigned to four groups: normal group, sham-operated group, sepsis group, and Ghrelin-treated group. Sera and small intestinal tissues were collected from all groups. The sepsis was evaluated by histological analysis, and autophagy of small intestinal epithelial cells was assessed by electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, and biochemical methods. Results The expression of autophagy-associated proteins such as LC3, Atg 7 and Beclin 1 increased by 8 h post-CLP and declined to basal levels by 12 h post-CLP. The expression of LC3, Atg 7 and Beclin 1 in Ghrelin-treated rats was higher than that in rats with sepsis. Furthermore, compared to rats with sepsis, Ghrelin-treated rats showed significantly reduced intestinal mucosa injury at 20 h post-CLP. Conclusion Autophagy is induced in the early stages of sepsis. Ghrelin could enhance the autophagy of intestinal epithelial cells in rats with sepsis and protect the small intestinal epithelium against sepsis-induced injury.
ISSN:0753-3322
1950-6007
DOI:10.1016/j.biopha.2016.08.048