LAUSR

BACKGROUND Probiotic are regarded as a promising strategy for relieving colitis caused by DSS. One of dominant probiotic fungi in Fuzhuan brick tea is identified as Aspergillus cristatum, but whether it can effectively improve colitis remains poorly understood. Here, the improving effect of A. cristatum on colitis were investigated. RESULTS Our results showed that A. cristatum intervention prominently alleviated gut damage as evidenced by the inhibition of shortened colon length, goblet cell depletion, and histological injury. Mechanistically, after administration with low concentration of A. cristatum H-1 (HLL) and A. cristatum S-6 (SLH), the expression of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, NO, and MDA were significantly downregulated, and the content of GSH, CAT, IL-10, IgG, Claudin-1, Occludin, and ZO-1 were effectively upregulated. More importantly, live A. cristatum supplementation lightened DSS-induced gut barrier damage by suppressing the activation of MAPK signaling pathway, increasing the synthesis of SCFAs and stimulating the increase of PPARγ expression. CONCLUSION Together, A. cristatum can attenuate DSS-induced intestinal barrier damage through reducing the oxidative stress, regulating short-chain fatty acid and inhibiting MAPK signaling pathways (P38/JNK/ERK). Our findings indicate A. cristatum replenishment maybe new probiotic fungi to reduce DSS-induced colitis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.