Veterinary Sciences (Mar 2024)

Genistein Alleviates Intestinal Oxidative Stress by Activating the Nrf2 Signaling Pathway in IPEC-J2 Cells

  • Yanpin Li,
  • Long Cai,
  • Qingyue Bi,
  • Wenjuan Sun,
  • Yu Pi,
  • Xianren Jiang,
  • Xilong Li

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11040154
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 4
p. 154

Abstract

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In the weaning period, piglets often face oxidative stress, which will cause increased diarrhea and mortality. Genistein, a flavonoid, which is extracted from leguminous plants, possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidative bioactivities. However, little is known about whether genistein could attenuate the oxidative stress that occurs in porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2). Herein, this experiment was carried out to investigate the protective effects of genistein in the IPEC-J2 cells oxidative stress model. Our results disclosed that H2O2 stimulation brought about a significant diminution in catalase (CAT) activity and cell viability, as well as an increase in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in IPEC-J2 cells (p 2O2 exposure helped to alleviate the reduction in CAT activity and cell viability (p p = 0.061) caused by H2O2. Furthermore, H2O2 stimulation of IPEC-J2 cells remarkably suppressed gene level Nrf2 and CAT expression, in addition to protein level Nrf2 expression, but pretreating cells with genistein reversed this change (p ZO-1 expression at gene level (p < 0.05). In summary, our findings indicate that genistein possesses an antioxidant capacity in IPEC-J2 cells which is effective against oxidative stress; the potential mechanism may involve the Nrf2 signaling pathway. Our findings could offer a novel nutritional intervention strategy to enhance the intestinal health of piglets during the weaning process.

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