International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Sep 2019)

Curcumin Mitigates Immune-Induced Epithelial Barrier Dysfunction by <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i>

  • Fábia Daniela Lobo de Sá,
  • Eduard Butkevych,
  • Praveen Kumar Nattramilarasu,
  • Anja Fromm,
  • Soraya Mousavi,
  • Verena Moos,
  • Julia C. Golz,
  • Kerstin Stingl,
  • Sophie Kittler,
  • Diana Seinige,
  • Corinna Kehrenberg,
  • Markus M. Heimesaat,
  • Stefan Bereswill,
  • Jörg-Dieter Schulzke,
  • Roland Bücker

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20194830
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 19
p. 4830

Abstract

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Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is the most common cause of foodborne gastroenteritis worldwide. The bacteria induce diarrhea and inflammation by invading the intestinal epithelium. Curcumin is a natural polyphenol from turmeric rhizome of Curcuma longa, a medical plant, and is commonly used in curry powder. The aim of this study was the investigation of the protective effects of curcumin against immune-induced epithelial barrier dysfunction in C. jejuni infection. The indirect C. jejuni-induced barrier defects and its protection by curcumin were analyzed in co-cultures with HT-29/B6-GR/MR epithelial cells together with differentiated THP-1 immune cells. Electrophysiological measurements revealed a reduction in transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) in infected co-cultures. An increase in fluorescein (332 Da) permeability in co-cultures as well as in the germ-free IL-10−/− mouse model after C. jejuni infection was shown. Curcumin treatment attenuated the C. jejuni-induced increase in fluorescein permeability in both models. Moreover, apoptosis induction, tight junction redistribution, and an increased inflammatory response—represented by TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 secretion—was observed in co-cultures after infection and reversed by curcumin. In conclusion, curcumin protects against indirect C. jejuni-triggered immune-induced barrier defects and might be a therapeutic and protective agent in patients.

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