Impaired function of the intestinal barrier in a novel sub-health rat model

Sub-health is a state featuring a deterioration in physiological function between health and illness, and the sub-health condition has surfaced as life-threatening in humans. The aim of the present study was to establish a sub-health model in rats, and investigate the function of the intestinal barrier in the sub-health rats and rats following intervention. To establish a sub-health model, the rats were subjected to a high-fat and sugar diet, motion restriction and chronic stress. Their serum glucose and triglyceride levels, immune function and adaptability were then measured. The levels of diamine oxidase and D-lactic acid in the plasma were analyzed as markers of the intestinal permeability. The protein and mRNA expression levels of anti-apoptotic YWHAZ in the colonic tissue was detected using immunohistochemical and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses In the present study, the sub-health rat model was successfully established, and sub-health factors increased the intestinal permeability and reduced the expression of YWHAZ. Providing sub-health rats with normal living conditions did not improve the function of the intestinal barrier. In conclusion, the results of the present study demonstrated that intestinal disorders in the sub-health rat model may result from the damage caused by reduce intestinal barrier function as well as the decreased expression levels of YWHAZ. Additionally, rats in the sub-health condition did not recover following subsequent exposure to normal living conditions, suggesting that certain exercises or medical intervention may be necessary to improve sub-health symptoms.