J Biomed Res.  2013 Dec;14(4):220-225.

Radio-protective effect of sulfated polysaccharide purified from Ecklonia cava against small intestinal stem cells of gamma-ray irradiated mice

• Oh H
• Bing SJ
• Kim A
• Cho J
• Jee Y

Abstract

Our previous research on sulfated polysaccharide purified from Ecklonia cava, a brown alga found in Jeju island, Korea, showed that sulfated polysaccharides modulate the apoptotic threshold of intestinal cells, thereby preventing intestinal damage caused by ionizing radiation. In this study, we investigated the ability of sulfated polysaccharide to augment restoration of small intestinal stem cells from gamma-ray-induced damage. In our results, sulfated polysaccharide treatment increased the numbers of Ki-67-positive cells as well as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-expressing cells in the small intestine compared with those of irradiated only mice. Meanwhile, exposure to irradiation increased the number of paneth cells, which are frequently associated with intestinal inflammation, whereas sulfated polysaccharide treatment reduced the number of paneth cells in the small intestinal crypt. Conclusively, our data suggest that reduction of iNOS-expressing cells and paneth cells in sulfated polysaccharide-treated mice contributes to the inhibition of radiation-induced intestinal inflammation.

Keyword

sulfated polysaccharide; irradiation; intestinal stem cell; paneth cell; intestinal inflammation

MeSH Terms

Animals
Inflammation
Intestine, Small
Korea
Mice*
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
Paneth Cells
Polysaccharides
Radiation, Ionizing
Stem Cells*
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
Polysaccharides