Objective: To investigate the effect of fish oil on intestinal Paneth cells in mouse with abdominal infection.
Methods: Fifty C57BL/6J mouse were randomly divided into five groups (n=10 each): control group, sham group, infection group (cecal ligation and puncture, CLP), fish oil group (0.4 g/kg fish oil, intragastric administration every day, FO) and long chain triglyceride group (0.4 g/kg soybean oil, intragastric administration every day, LCT). The mouse were sacrificed and the terminal ileum was collected for lysozyme, cryptdin 4 and secreted phosphatidase A2 (sPLA2) analysis at the fourth day after operation. The changes of mouse body weight and intestinal mucosa pathology were observed.
Results: The body weight, the mRNA levels of lysozyme, cryptdin 4 and sPLA2 and the protein level of lysozyme of Paneth cells in the infection group were reduced compared with the control group (0.78±0.34 vs. 1.83±0.11, 0.99±0.44 vs. 2.02±0.33, 0.92±0.25 vs. 1.50±0.27, 0.31±0.06 vs. 0.45±0.05, all P<0.05), meanwhile the intestinal villi collapse and breakage occurred obviously. Fish oil could up-regulate the mRNA and protein expression of lysozyme (1.23±0.27 vs. 0.78±0.34 and 0.62±0.23, 0.38±0.07 vs. 0.31±0.06 and 0.32±0.06, all P<0.05) and alleviate the mucosa injury compared with the infection group and LCT group.
Conclusions: The function of intestinal Paneth cells is damaged apparently after cecal ligation and puncture. Fish oil can relieve this injury.