Table 21.
Effects of THY on intestinal permeability, tight junctions, gastric mucosa gene expression, and modulation of the endocannabinoid system in various animal models.
| Species | Target tissues | Treatment/dosage | Genes/proteins affected | Key findings | References | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pigs | Oxyntic and pyloric mucosa | THY, 50 mg/kg BW (oral) | Somatostatin, peptide transporter 1, calpain 9, Ion transport genes (TRP channels, K+ channels) | THY upregulates genes associated with gastric function and downregulates ion transport genes, suggesting potential support for gastric maturation | (175) | 2014 |
| Jejunal mucosa (weaned piglets) | THY-CAR (100 mg/kg diet) | Occludin, ZO-1 | No significant effect on occludin or ZO-1 expression in the jejunum, suggesting limited impact on these tight junction proteins in weaned piglets | (15) | 2017 | |
| IPEC-J2 cells (LPS challenge) | THY, 50 μM (pre-treatment) | ZO-1, Claudin-3 | No significant changes in ZO-1 and claudin-3 with THY under inflammation. Pre-treatment with THY restores TEER and reduces FITC-dextran leakage, indicating preservation of epithelial integrity | (25) | 2019 | |
| Duodenal and Ileal mucosa | Microencapsulated THY (0, 25.5, 51, 153, and 510 mg/kg feed) | Endocannabinoid system and gut chemosensing markers. CB1, CB2, TRPV1, OR1G1, DGL-α/β, FAAH | THY modulates CB1, CB2, and related markers, influencing gut chemosensing and cannabinoid signaling pathways | (169) | 2020 | |
| Broiler chickens | Ileum (challenged with C. perfringens) | THY-CAR (0, 60, 120, and 240 mg/kg diet) | Down: claudin-1, occludin; unaffected: mucin-2 | Higher EOs doses reduce lesion severity, with THY potentially protecting against barrier disruption caused by C. perfringens | (111) | 2016 |
| Jejunum | THP (0, 2, 5, and 8 g/kg) | Up: mucin-2 | THY upregulates mucin-2 mRNA in jejunum | (135) | 2017 | |
| Jejunum and ileum | THY (50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg diet) | Up: nutrient transporters (GLUT2, SGLT1, SLC38A, SLC79A, SLC27A4), TJP1 | THY supplementation upregulates nutrient transport and barrier function genes, enhancing gut health indicators in broilers | (19) | 2021 | |
| Chicken enteroids; 18-day-old embryos (LPS-induced inflammation) | THY: 10 ppm and THEO: 20 ppm (6-h exposure) | Up: occludin, ZO-1 | Restore tight junction gene expression | (113) | 2023 |