Glucose-Insulin-Potassium Alleviates Intestinal Mucosal Barrier Injuries Involving Decreased Expression of Uncoupling Protein 2 and NLR Family-Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Inflammasome in Polymicrobial Sepsis

Abstract EN

Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) may be critical for intestinal barrier function which may play a key role in the development of sepsis, and insulin has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into five groups: control group, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) group, sham surgery group, CLP plus glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) group, and CLP plus glucose and potassium (GK) group.

Ileum tissues were collected at 24 h after surgery.

Histological and cytokine analyses, intestinal permeability tests, and western blots of intestinal epithelial tight junction component proteins and UCP2 were performed.

Compared with CLP group, the CLP + GIK group had milder histological damage, lower levels of cytokines in the serum and ileum tissue samples, and lower UCP2 expression, whereas the CLP + GK group had no such effects.

Moreover, the CLP + GIK group exhibited decreased epithelial permeability of the ileum and increased expression of zonula occludens-1, occludin, and claudin-1 in the ileum.

The findings demonstrated that the UCP2 and NLR family-pyrin domain-containing 3/caspase 1/interleukin 1β signaling pathway may be involved in intestinal barrier injury and that GIK treatment decreased intestinal barrier permeability.

Thus, GIK may be a useful treatment for intestinal barrier injury during sepsis.