Dietary isomaltomegalosaccharides ameliorate lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxemia in rats

Isomaltomegalosaccharides (IMS) consist of 10 to 50 glucose units linked by α-1,6-glucosidic bonds. This study aimed to test whether dietary IMS ameliorates antigen-specific antibody production and/or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute endotoxemia in rats. Male F344/Jcl rats fed a diet supplemented with IMS (30 g/kg diet) showed reduced hepatic Cd14 expression levels and plasma LPS-binding protein (LBP) concentrations. In a separate experiment, IMS-fed rats were injected with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and LPS to determine antigen-specific antibody production and acute hepatitis, respectively. Although no difference was observed in KLH-specific antibody levels between the groups, dietary IMS decreased plasma transaminase activities and the concentrations of interleukin-1β and LBP in response to LPS injection. The observations suggest that dietary IMS may help to alleviate acute endotoxemia by reducing responsiveness to LPS.