Objective:

2

To investigate the effect of Yinlai Decoction (YD) on the microstructure of colon

and activity of D-lactic acid (DLA) and diamine oxidase (DAO) in serum of pneumonia mice model fed with high- calorie and high-protein diet (HCD).

Methods:

2

Sixty male Kunming mice were randomly divided into 6 groups by the random number table method: normal control

pneumonia

HCD

HCD with pneumonia (HCD-P)

YD (229.2 mg/mL)

and dexamethasone (15.63 mg/mL) groups

with 10 in each group. HCD mice were fed with 52% milk solution by gavage. Pneumonia mice was modeled with lipopolysaccharide inhalation and was fed by gavage with either the corresponding therapeutic drugs or saline water

twice daily

for 3 days. After hematoxylin-eosin staining

the changes in the colon structure were observed under light microscopy and transmission electron microscope

respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the protein levels of DLA and DAO in the serum of mice.

Results:

2

The colonic mucosal structure and ultrastructure of mice in the normal control group were clear and intact. The colonic mucosal goblet cells in the pneumonia group tended to increase

and the size of the microvilli varied. In the HCD-P group

the mucosal goblet cells showed a marked increase in size with increased secretory activity. Loose mucosal epithelial connections were also observed

as shown by widened intercellular gaps with short sparse microvilli. These pathological changes of intestinal mucosa were significantly reduced in mouse models with YD treatment

while there was no significant improvement after dexamethasone treatment. The serum DLA level was significantly higher in the pneumonia

HCD

and HCD-P groups as compared with the normal control group (

P

<

0.05). Serum DLA was significantly lower in the YD group than HCD-P group (

P

<

0.05). Moreover

serum DLA level significantly increased in the dexamethasone group as compared with the YD group (

P

<

0.01). There was no statistical significance in the serum level of DAO among groups (

P

>

0.05).

Conclusions:

2

YD can protect function of intestinal mucosa by improving the tissue morphology of intestinal mucosa and maintaining integrity of cell connections and microvilli structure

thereby reducing permeability of intestinal mucosa to regulate the serum levels of DLA in mice.