Citric Acid Promotes Immune Function by Modulating the Intestinal Barrier
Amidst increasing concern about antibiotic resistance resulting from the overuse of antibiotics, there is a growing interest in exploring alternative agents. One such agent is citric acid, an organic compound commonly used for various applications. Our research findings indicate that the inclusion o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/2/1239 |
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| author | Pengcheng Hu Meng Yuan Bolun Guo Jiaqi Lin Shihong Yan Huiqing Huang Ji-Long Chen Song Wang Yanmei Ma |
| author_facet | Pengcheng Hu Meng Yuan Bolun Guo Jiaqi Lin Shihong Yan Huiqing Huang Ji-Long Chen Song Wang Yanmei Ma |
| author_sort | Pengcheng Hu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Amidst increasing concern about antibiotic resistance resulting from the overuse of antibiotics, there is a growing interest in exploring alternative agents. One such agent is citric acid, an organic compound commonly used for various applications. Our research findings indicate that the inclusion of citric acid can have several beneficial effects on the tight junctions found in the mouse intestine. Firstly, the study suggests that citric acid may contribute to weight gain by stimulating the growth of intestinal epithelial cells (IE-6). Citric acid enhances the small intestinal villus–crypt ratio in mice, thereby promoting intestinal structural morphology. Additionally, citric acid has been found to increase the population of beneficial intestinal microorganisms, including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. It also promotes the expression of important protein genes such as occludin, ZO-1, and claudin-1, which play crucial roles in maintaining the integrity of the tight junction barrier in the intestines. Furthermore, in infected IEC-6 cells with H9N2 avian influenza virus, citric acid augmented the expression of genes closely associated with the influenza virus infection. Moreover, it reduces the inflammatory response caused by the viral infection and thwarted influenza virus replication. These findings suggest that citric acid fortifies the intestinal tight junction barrier, inhibits the replication of influenza viruses targeting the intestinal tract, and boosts intestinal immune function. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:53:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-90b68ab9c4314328aea8631ac11cd0c7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:53:02Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-90b68ab9c4314328aea8631ac11cd0c72024-01-29T13:58:38ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672024-01-01252123910.3390/ijms25021239Citric Acid Promotes Immune Function by Modulating the Intestinal BarrierPengcheng Hu0Meng Yuan1Bolun Guo2Jiaqi Lin3Shihong Yan4Huiqing Huang5Ji-Long Chen6Song Wang7Yanmei Ma8Joint Laboratory of Animal Pathogen Prevention and Control of Fujian-Nepal, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaJoint Laboratory of Animal Pathogen Prevention and Control of Fujian-Nepal, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaKey Laboratory of Fujian-Taiwan Animal Pathogen Biology, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaKey Laboratory of Fujian-Taiwan Animal Pathogen Biology, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaJoint Laboratory of Animal Pathogen Prevention and Control of Fujian-Nepal, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaKey Laboratory of Fujian-Taiwan Animal Pathogen Biology, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaJoint Laboratory of Animal Pathogen Prevention and Control of Fujian-Nepal, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaJoint Laboratory of Animal Pathogen Prevention and Control of Fujian-Nepal, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaJoint Laboratory of Animal Pathogen Prevention and Control of Fujian-Nepal, College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaAmidst increasing concern about antibiotic resistance resulting from the overuse of antibiotics, there is a growing interest in exploring alternative agents. One such agent is citric acid, an organic compound commonly used for various applications. Our research findings indicate that the inclusion of citric acid can have several beneficial effects on the tight junctions found in the mouse intestine. Firstly, the study suggests that citric acid may contribute to weight gain by stimulating the growth of intestinal epithelial cells (IE-6). Citric acid enhances the small intestinal villus–crypt ratio in mice, thereby promoting intestinal structural morphology. Additionally, citric acid has been found to increase the population of beneficial intestinal microorganisms, including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. It also promotes the expression of important protein genes such as occludin, ZO-1, and claudin-1, which play crucial roles in maintaining the integrity of the tight junction barrier in the intestines. Furthermore, in infected IEC-6 cells with H9N2 avian influenza virus, citric acid augmented the expression of genes closely associated with the influenza virus infection. Moreover, it reduces the inflammatory response caused by the viral infection and thwarted influenza virus replication. These findings suggest that citric acid fortifies the intestinal tight junction barrier, inhibits the replication of influenza viruses targeting the intestinal tract, and boosts intestinal immune function.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/2/1239citric acidintestinal barrierH9N2 influenza virusgut microorganismsmetabolomics |
| spellingShingle | Pengcheng Hu Meng Yuan Bolun Guo Jiaqi Lin Shihong Yan Huiqing Huang Ji-Long Chen Song Wang Yanmei Ma Citric Acid Promotes Immune Function by Modulating the Intestinal Barrier International Journal of Molecular Sciences citric acid intestinal barrier H9N2 influenza virus gut microorganisms metabolomics |
| title | Citric Acid Promotes Immune Function by Modulating the Intestinal Barrier |
| title_full | Citric Acid Promotes Immune Function by Modulating the Intestinal Barrier |
| title_fullStr | Citric Acid Promotes Immune Function by Modulating the Intestinal Barrier |
| title_full_unstemmed | Citric Acid Promotes Immune Function by Modulating the Intestinal Barrier |
| title_short | Citric Acid Promotes Immune Function by Modulating the Intestinal Barrier |
| title_sort | citric acid promotes immune function by modulating the intestinal barrier |
| topic | citric acid intestinal barrier H9N2 influenza virus gut microorganisms metabolomics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/2/1239 |
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