How Lactoferrin Helps Heal Gut Damage

The Power of Lactoferrin

Lactoferrin, a protein found in milk, has been shown to help protect the gut from damage caused by a toxin called deoxynivalenol (DON). Researchers wanted to understand how lactoferrin works at a genetic level to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the gut.

The Damage Caused by DON

When mice were fed a diet contaminated with DON, their gut lining showed signs of damage:

• Villi (tiny finger-like projections that help absorb nutrients) became shorter and wider.
• Crypts (small pits that house stem cells) became deeper.
• An increase in harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS).
• A decrease in antioxidants like superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT).
• Lower levels of energy-producing molecules like ATP.

The Protective Effects of Lactoferrin

However, when lactoferrin was added to the diet, it helped reverse these effects:

• The gut lining looked healthier.
• Levels of harmful molecules decreased.
• Levels of protective molecules increased.

Genetic Regulation by Lactoferrin

To understand how lactoferrin works, researchers looked at the genes that were turned on or off in the gut cells:

• DON exposure turned down genes involved in cell growth and turned up genes involved in inflammation and oxidative stress.
• Lactoferrin helped reverse these changes, turning down inflammation and oxidative stress genes and turning up cell growth genes.

Histone Modifications

The researchers also found that lactoferrin affects how genes are regulated by tiny chemical tags attached to the DNA. These tags, called histone modifications, can turn genes on or off. Lactoferrin increased the loss of these tags on certain genes, suggesting that it helps regulate gene activity.

Key Gene: NR5A2

One gene that seemed to be particularly important was NR5A2. This gene helps regulate other genes involved in oxidative stress. Lactoferrin helped increase the activity of NR5A2, which in turn helped regulate the activity of other genes like Ncoa4 and Prdx3.

Conclusion

In summary, lactoferrin helps protect the gut from damage caused by DON by regulating gene activity through histone modifications. This helps reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, promoting gut health.