The beneficial effects of alpha-tocopherol on intestinal function and the expression of tight junction proteins in differentiated segments of the intestine in piglets

Alpha (alpha)-tocopherol is a major component of dietary vitamin E. Despite being one of the most widely used food supplements in both animals and humans, its role in intestinal functions remains unknown. We were able to examine and accurately demonstrate its permeability effect in vitro and its differentiated effect on tight junction expression in different segments of the intestine in vivo using cultured intestinal porcine epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2) and piglets. A cultured IPEC-J2 demonstrated that alpha-tocopherol upregulated the expression of tight junction proteins and improved their integrity, with a maximum effect at concentrations ranging from 20 to 40 mu mol/L. In vivo data from weaned pigs fed different doses of alpha-tocopherol for 2 weeks revealed that alpha-tocopherol effectively increases the expression of tight junction proteins in all sections of the intestinal mucosa, with the highest effect on the duodenum at an optimum dose of 20-50 mg/kg. In contrast, alpha-tocopherol did not affect intestinal inflammation. These findings suggest that alpha-tocopherol maintains intestinal integrity and increases the expression of tight junction proteins both in vitro and in vivo.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates that α-tocopherol can increase tight junction protein expression and enhance intestinal integrity, both in vitro and in vivo.