Intestinal Osteopontin Protects From Alcohol-induced Liver Injury by Preserving the Gut Microbiome and the Intestinal Barrier Function

Abstract

BACKGROUND & AIMS: develop worse ALD than wild-type (WT) mice; however, the role of intestinal osteopontin (OPN) in ALD remains unknown. We hypothesized that overexpression of OPN in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) could ameliorate ALD by preserving the gut microbiome and the intestinal barrier function. METHODS: , and WT mice were fed control or ethanol Lieber-DeCarli diet for 6 weeks. RESULTS: mice in ALD. CONCLUSION: Overexpression of OPN in IECs or administration of milk OPN maintain the intestinal microbiome by intestinal antimicrobial peptides. The increase in tryptophan metabolites and short-chain fatty acids signaling through the Ahr in IECs, preserve the intestinal barrier function and protect from ALD.