title: Epidermal growth factor improved alcohol-induced inflammation in rats.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an epidermal growth factor (EGF) intervention on improving the inflammatory response of rats fed an ethanol-containing diet. Eight-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into ethanol (E) and control (C) groups. Rats in the E group were fed an ethanol liquid diet, while rats in the C group were pair-fed an isoenergetic diet without ethanol. After a 4-week ethanol-induction period, both the C and E group were respectively subdivided into 2 groups: a normal liquid diet without (C group, n = 8) or with EGF supplementation (C + EGF, n = 8), and the ethanol-containing diet without (E group, n = 8) or with EGF supplementation (E + EGF group, n = 8). The EGF (30 μg/kg body weight/day) intervention period was carried out for the following 8 weeks. At the end of the experiment, activity of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) and hepatic levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 in group E were significantly higher than those in group C. In addition, alterations in the gut microbiota profile were found in group E. In contrast, activity of AST and ALT and levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in group E + EGF were significantly lower than those in group E. Significantly lower intestinal permeability and lower numbers of Escherichia coli in the fecal microbial culture were also found in group E + EGF. These results suggest that EGF improved the intestinal integrity by decreasing E. coli colonization and lowering intestinal permeability, which then ameliorated the inflammatory response under chronic ethanol exposure.
authors.affiliation: School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Ya-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Hsiang-Chi
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Yi-Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: sokei@tmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Suh-Ching
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000032:analysis; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000032:analysis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D064307:Microbiota / Q000187:drug effects; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D000431:Ethanol; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: Alcoholic liver disease; Epidermal growth factor; Intestinal integrity; Rats