AUTHOR=Cui Yuqing , Zhang Lu , Lu Chunyu , Dou Mengmeng , Jiao Yulan , Bao Yongzhan , Shi Wanyu 

TITLE=Effects of compound small peptides of Chinese medicine on intestinal immunity and cecal intestinal flora in CTX immunosuppressed mice

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.959726

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2022.959726

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>The study was designed to explore the improvement effect of CSPCM (compound small peptide of Chinese medicine) on intestinal immunity and microflora through the treatment of different doses of CSPCM. A total of 100 male Kunming mice were weighed and divided into five groups, namely, group A (control group), group B (model group), group C (0.1 g/kg·bw CSPCM), group D (0.2 g/kg·bw CSPCM), and group E (0.4 g/kg·bw CSPCM). The use of CTX (cyclophosphamide) caused a series of negative effects: the secretion of IL-2, IL-22, TNF-α, sIgA, length of the villi, and the area of Pey's node were significantly reduced (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05); the depth of crypt and the percent of CD3<sup>+</sup> and CD4<sup>+</sup> cells were significantly increased (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05); the cecal flora taxa decreased; the abundance of <italic>Firmicutes</italic> and <italic>Lactobacillus</italic> increased; and the abundance of <italic>Bacteroidetes, Deferribacteres, Proteobacteria, Mucispirillum, Bacteroides</italic>, and <italic>Flexisprra</italic> decreased. The addition of CSPCM improved the secretion of cytokines and the development of intestinal villi, crypts, and Pey's node. The number of CD3<sup>+</sup> and CD4<sup>+</sup> cells in groups C, D, and E was significantly higher than that in group B (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). Compared with group B, the abundance of <italic>Firmicutes</italic> in groups C, D, and E was decreased, and the <italic>Bacteroidetes, Deferribacteres</italic>, and <italic>Proteobacteria</italic> increased. The abundance of <italic>Lactobacillus</italic> decreased, while that of <italic>Mucispirillum, Bacteroides</italic>, and <italic>Flexisprra</italic> increased. It is concluded that cyclophosphamide is extremely destructive to the intestinal area and has a great negative impact on the development of the small intestine, the intestinal immune system, and the intestinal flora. The CSPCM can improve the negative effects of CTX.</p>