Protective effect of chitooligosaccharides on liver and kidney function in sepsis mice

SUN Changliang; XIAO Di; PENG Mei; ZHANG Qingtong; YANG Xiaoping

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Journal of Hunan Normal University(Medical Science) ›› 2025, Vol. 22 ›› Issue (1) : 1-7.

Basic Medicine

Protective effect of chitooligosaccharides on liver and kidney function in sepsis mice

SUN Changliang, XIAO Di, PENG Mei, ZHANG Qingtong, YANG Xiaoping

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Abstract

Objective This study aims to investigate the protective effects of Chitooligosaccharide (COS) on hepatic and renal functions in septic mice. Methods Thirty 6-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups: Control group (n=5): Received daily oral gavage of ultrapure water. COS supplementation group (n=5): Administered COS (200 mg/kg) via daily oral gavage. Sepsis model group (n=10): A sepsis model was established by intraperitoneal injection of Escherichia coli DH5α. COS treatment group (n=10): Received daily oral gavage of COS (200 mg/kg) for one week prior to sepsis induction, followed by intraperitoneal injection of E. coli DH5α. Survival curves for all four groups were subsequently plotted and analyzed. An additional cohort of 20 male C57BL/6 mice (6 weeks old) were randomly allocated into four equal groups (n=5 per group) and subjected to the same experimental protocol. Blood and tissue samples were collected 8 hours post-injection of E. coli DH5α for comprehensive analyses, including serum biomarkers such as inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β [IL-1β], tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], and interleukin-6 [IL-6]), oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde [MDA]), and hepatic/renal function parameters (alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate aminotransferase [AST], urea, and creatinine [Crea]). Additionally, hepatic oxidative stress markers, specifically reduced glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels, were quantified. Histopathological analysis was conducted via hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining to assess inflammatory cell infiltration in liver and kidney tissues, while immunohistochemistry was employed to quantify the protein expression of Nuclear Factor erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 (Nrf2) in hepatic and renal cells. Statistical analysis was subsequently performed to evaluate the protective effects of COS on hepatic and renal functions in septic mice. Results Results Compared to the sepsis model group, COS-treated septic mice exhibited a significantly prolonged survival period. COS intervention effectively downregulated the expression of serum inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6), suppressed the abnormal elevation of hepatic and renal injury biomarkers (ALT, AST, urea, and Crea), and reduced serum MDA levels. Furthermore, COS administration significantly elevated hepatic reduced GSH and SOD content, mitigated inflammatory cell infiltration in both liver and kidney tissues, and markedly upregulated the expression of Nrf2 protein in hepatic cells. Conclusion COS demonstrates significant protective effects on hepatic and renal functions in septic mice.

Key words

sepsis / chitooligosaccharide / inflammatory factors / biochemical indicators of liver and kidney / reactive oxygen species / nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2

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SUN Changliang, XIAO Di, PENG Mei, ZHANG Qingtong, YANG Xiaoping. Protective effect of chitooligosaccharides on liver and kidney function in sepsis mice[J]. Journal of Hunan Normal University(Medical Science). 2025, 22(1): 1-7

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