Tupistra chinensis Polysaccharide Mitigates the Inflammatory Response by Regulating GutMicrobiota in Mice Induced by LPS

Tupistra chinensis polysaccharide (TCP), also known as "kaikoujian" in Chinese, is used to treat illnesses including rheumatic diseases, snake bites, and inflammation.Its impacts on microbiota and immunity were unclear.We studied TCP's ability to mitigate LPS-induced inflammatory intestinal damage in mice.ICR mice (n=30) were divided equally into: Control (C), LPS-induced model (M), and TCP-treated (P) groups.The P group received TCP (100 mg/kg) daily for 14 days.On the 14th day, mice in the M and P groups were given 10 mg/kg LPS by intraperitoneal injection.The results indicate that LPS causes obvious inflammation and reduced antioxidant capacity in the intestinal epithelium of mice.Additionally, the LPS-challenged group exhibited reduced intestinal microbial diversity and induced apparent structural changes, as evidenced by a significant increase in the richness of harmful bacteria (Duncaniella, Eubacterium, and Paramuribaculum).In contrast, the abundance of beneficial bacteria (Phocaeicola, Bacteroides, and Muribaculaceae) was notably decreased.Notably, TCP treatment significantly modulates gut microbiota to reduce the inflammatory response and oxidative damage by lowering the inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-) and regulating the antioxidant parameters (T-AOC, GSH-Px, SOD, MDA) induced by LPS in mice.Conclusively, our findings demonstrated that TCP treatment protects the intestinal epithelium against LPSinduced inflammatory response and gut microbiota disorders.These novel findings provide a basis for future research on the therapeutic potential of TCP in mitigating LPS-induced damage in humans and animals.