Tier 4 — mechanistic

Apigenin mitigates intestinal barrier dysfunction in sepsis by modulating the AKT signaling pathway

Zheng Lijun, Wang Liping, Zhao Dandan, Zhao Wenjie, Xu Renjie, Ji Xueyan, Che Wenqing, Li Chen, Zhao Lu
BMC Gastroenterology 2025 25:626

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 40885907
PubMed Central
PMC12398084
DOI
10.1186/s12876-025-04196-0

Study snapshot

DesignIn vivo mouse and in vitro intestinal-cell study
ModelLPS-induced endotoxemia in C57BL/6 mice and Caco-2 monolayers
Sample
InterventionApigenin 50 mg/kg by gavage for 3 days before LPS; 10 μM apigenin in Caco-2 experiments
DurationThree-day pretreatment plus acute sepsis model
EndpointsFITC-dextran permeability; Occludin, Claudin-1 and ZO-1; IL-6 and TNF-α; MMP-9 and COX-2; AKT signaling

What the study showed, in plain terms

Researchers investigated whether apigenin preserves the intestinal barrier during experimental sepsis.

Key findings

Apigenin improved barrier-integrity markers and reduced permeability and inflammatory markers in mice and Caco-2 models, with AKT-related targets implicated.

What this study can and cannot tell us

The intervention was preventive pretreatment in an experimental model, not treatment of clinical sepsis.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology