Total polysaccharides of the Sijunzi decoction attenuate tumor necrosis factor-α-induced damage to the barrier function of a Caco-2 cell monolayer via the nuclear factor-κB-myosin light chain kinase-myosin light chain pathway

Figure 3 Total polysaccharides of the Sijunzi decoction attenuated intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction induced by tumor necrosis factor-α. A: Caco-2 monolayers were incubated with or without 100 ng/mL TNF-α in the absence or presence of TPSJ for 24 h. TPSJ significantly increased the transepithelial electrical resistance of Caco-2 cell monolayers damaged by TNF-α; B: TPSJ markedly attenuated phenolsulfonphthalein flux across the epithelial monolayers. Data are shown as the means ± standard errors of the means of at least three independent experiments (^bP < 0.01 vs control Caco-2 cells; ^cP < 0.05 vs TNF-α-damaged Caco-2 cells). TPSJ: Total polysaccharides of the Sijunzi decoction; TNF: Tumor necrosis factor.