Protective effects of PX478 on gut barrier in a mouse model of ethanol and burn injury

Ethanol remains a confounder in postburn pathology, which is associated with an impaired intestinal barrier. Previously, we demonstrated that ethanol and burn injury reduce intestinal oxygen delivery (hypoxia) and alters microRNA (miR) expression in small intestinal epithelial cells. Hypoxia has been shown to influence expression of miRs and miR biogenesis components. Therefore, we examined whether hypoxia influences expression of miR biogenesis components (drosha, dicer, and argonaute‐2 [ago‐2]) and miRs (‐7a and ‐150) and whether these changes impacted other parameters following ethanol and burn injury. Mice were gavaged with ethanol (∼2.9 g/kg) 4 h before receiving a ∼12.5% total body surface full thickness burn. Mice were resuscitated at the time of injury with normal saline with or without 5 mg/kg PX‐478, a hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α inhibitor. One day following injury mice were euthanized, and the expression of miRs and their biogenesis components as well as bacterial growth, tight junction proteins, intestinal transit, and permeability were assessed. Ethanol combined with burn injury significantly reduced expression of drosha, ago‐2, miRs (‐7a and ‐150), occludin, zonula occludens‐1, claudin‐4, zonula occludens‐1, mucins‐2 and ‐4, and intestinal transit compared to shams. Furthermore, there was an increase in intestinal permeability, total bacteria, and Enterobacteriaceae populations following the combined injury compared to shams. PX‐478 treatment improved expression of drosha, ago‐2, miRs (‐7a and ‐150), occludin, claudin‐4, zonula occludens‐1, and mucin‐2. PX‐478 treatment also improved intestinal transit and reduced dysbiosis and permeability. These data suggest that PX‐478 improves miR biogenesis and miR expression, and restores barrier integrity while reducing bacterial dysbiosis following ethanol and burn injury. Graphical PX‐478 increases microRNA biogenesis, and reduces bacterial dysbiosis and intestine permeability following ethanol and burn injury.