Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 alleviates liver cirrhosis via improvement of the dysfunctional gut-liver axis in rats

This study was aimed to test the hypothesis that inhibition of COX-2 by celecoxib might alleviate liver cirrhosis via reduction of intestinal inflammatory transport in thiacetamide (TAA) rat model. COX-2/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)/EP-2/p-ERK integrated signal pathways regulated the expressions of intestinal zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and E-cadherin, which maintain the function of intestinal epithelial barrier. Celecoxib not only decreased the intestinal permeability to a 4-kDa FITC-dextran but also significantly increased expressions of ZO-1 and E-cadherin. When celecoxib greatly decreased intestinal levels of LPS, TNF-α, and IL-6, it significantly enhanced T cell subsets reduced by TAA. As a result, liver fibrosis induced by TAA was significantly alleviated in the celecoxib group. These data indicated that celecoxib improved the integrity of intestinal epithelial barrier, blocked inflammatory transport through the dysfunctional gut-liver axis, and ameliorated the progress of liver cirrhosis.

Source: AJP: Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology - May 31, 2016 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Gao, J.-H., Wen, S.-L., Tong, H., Wang, C.-H., Yang, W.-J., Tang, S.-H., Yan, Z.-P., Tai, Y., Ye, C., Liu, R., Huang, Z.-Y., Tang, Y.-M., Yang, J.-H., Tang, C.-W. Tags: LIVER AND BILIARY TRACT PHYSIOLOGY/PATHOPHYSIOLOGY Source Type: research