Glucose oxidase exerts protective effects against Salmonella typhimurium infection by regulating the intestinal structure, immune response and cecal microbiota in murine

Abstract

Abstract Glucose oxidase (GOD), an aerobic dehydrogenase, specifically catalyzes the oxidation of β-D-glucose to gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide, which are harmful to pathogenic bacteria but promoting the survival of beneficial bacteria in the intestine. Meanwhile, the increased antibiotic resistance induced by Salmonella typhimurium (ST) infections has amplified the need for development of novel therapeutic agents. As such, GOD may play an important role in controlling ST infections. To investigate the effects of GOD against ST infection, mice were pretreated with gentamicin (GM; positive control), GOD, or sterile water (negative control) and, four weeks later, challenged with ST or phosphate-buffered saline. Three days after infection, mice were sacrificed and samples were collected. In the present study, pretreatment with GOD or GM attenuated ST-induced body weight loss and mortality. Moreover, ST infection increased the intestinal damage, apoptosis in liver, inflammatory response in the colon and serum, which were reversed by GOD pretreatment. Sequence analysis further revealed that the gut bacterial community composition in mice pretreated with GOD was similar to that of the control group. Collectively, these findings indicate that GOD attenuates ST-induced negative effects by modulating intestinal barrier function, cytokine secretion, and intestinal microbiota composition in mice.