The intestine of C. elegans is a robust model for a variety of biological studies, including those of stress response [66]. The intestinal epithelium serves as a selectively permeable barrier against pathogens and toxic materials [67]. Therefore, maintaining the intestinal barrier integrity is vital for survival. To investigate how PBEO-ChNPs impact gut functions, we evaluated gut barrier integrity using FT63 worms carrying dlg-1::GFP transgene and analysed intestinal barrier function using a blue food dye in N2 nematodes. We examined that blue food dye was exuded from the gut into the body cavity in E. coli OP50 fed worms on days 8 and 12 (32.42 % and 75.7 % respectively), showing the “Smurf” phenotype. The food dye was indeed observed in the intestine of PBEO-ChNPs exposed worms during the 8th and 12th day of adulthood, with 21 % and 33 % of worms only showing the “Smurf” phenotype (Figs. 9C and S7). Next, we analysed the integrity of the gut barrier using FT63 transgenic strain which expresses dlg-1::GFP. FT63 worms exhibit a distinct bamboo-like pattern of GFP fluorescence at the intestinal epithelial cell junctions, suggesting intact gut integrity. Contrarily disappeared or disorganized GFP fluorescence denotes a loss of gut integrity. PBEO-ChNPs treated groups exhibited organized GFP fluorescence patterns in intestinal epithelial cells in the later stage of adulthood indicating improved gut integrity. Control groups exhibited a disorganized pattern of dlg-1::GFP fluorescence implying disruption or loss of gut integrity (Figs. 9D and S6). These findings suggest PBEO-ChNPs enhanced the functional status of gut barrier integrity.
The intestine of C. elegans is a robust model for a variety of biological studies, including those of stress response [66]. The intestinal epithelium serves as a selectively permeable barrier against pathogens and toxic materials [67]. Therefore, maintaining the intestinal barrier integrity is vital for survival. To investigate how PBEO-ChNPs impact gut functions, we evaluated gut barrier integrity using FT63 worms carrying dlg-1::GFP transgene and analysed intestinal barrier function using a blue food dye in N2 nematodes. We examined that blue food dye was exuded from the gut into the body cavity in E. coli OP50 fed worms on days 8 and 12 (32.42 % and 75.7 % respectively), showing the “Smurf” phenotype. The food dye was indeed observed in the intestine of PBEO-ChNPs exposed worms during the 8th and 12th day of adulthood, with 21 % and 33 % of worms only showing the “Smurf” phenotype (Figs. 9C and S7). Next, we analysed the integrity of the gut barrier using FT63 transgenic strain which expresses dlg-1::GFP. FT63 worms exhibit a distinct bamboo-like pattern of GFP fluorescence at the intestinal epithelial cell junctions, suggesting intact gut integrity. Contrarily disappeared or disorganized GFP fluorescence denotes a loss of gut integrity. PBEO-ChNPs treated groups exhibited organized GFP fluorescence patterns in intestinal epithelial cells in the later stage of adulthood indicating improved gut integrity. Control groups exhibited a disorganized pattern of dlg-1::GFP fluorescence implying disruption or loss of gut integrity (Figs. 9D and S6). These findings suggest PBEO-ChNPs enhanced the functional status of gut barrier integrity.
