Fucoidan is a sulfated polysaccharide derived from brown algae that have been proved to perform multiple biological activities. In the following study shared in the blog, I discuss the investigation to confirm whether Fucoidan has beneficial effects on endotoxemia induced by LPS (Endotoxin), a septic model in mice. The research focuses on survival rates and spleen function of the mice on treatment.

Endotoxins are released when bacteria die, and then dissociated endotoxins can cross the gastrointestinal barrier, where they end up in the bloodstream. LPS in the bloodstream is defined as endotoxemia, and Endotoxin causes Sepsis. As per the research by Perrine Andre et al., it creates the critical condition by circulating pathogenic bacterium in blood. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6722750/pdf/nutrients-11-01887.pdf)

According to the study of “Fucoidan Enhance the Survival and Sustains the Number of Splenic Dendric cells in muse Endotoxemia” by Eun-Ju Ko et al., ‘Fucoidan was injected into mice with LPS-induced endotoxemia. To investigate whether Fucoidan may positively affect mice’s survival with endotoxemia, we injected LPS or Fucoidan and evaluated mice’s mortality. LPS significantly decreased survival rate, and interestingly, pre-treatment with Fucoidan significantly reduced LSP-induced mortality. (Fig. 1) By pre-treating Fucoidan, we found the Fucoidan protective effect of increasing LPS-induced endotoxemia mice’s survival rate.’  

Using flow cytometry, we investigated the Fucoidan effect on the spleen function of LPS-treated mice and LPS/Fucodian-treated mice and measured dendritic population cells (CD11+/MHCII+).  The dendritic cells’ level was lower in LPS-treated mice, but the decrease was almost entirely reversed by fucoidan treatment (Fig.2).  By this result, Fucoidan has the possibility of inhibiting dendritic cells reduction of endotoxemia in mice.

These results show that Fucoidan will benefit the survival rate of endotoxemia mice and spleen function.

This study further demonstrated that the protective effects of Fucoidan on antigen-specific and memory immune responses in hosts with endotoxemia should be a good topic for future discussion.