398 Akkermansia muciniphila restores the mucin barrier in murine small intestine following alcohol and burn injury

Introduction/Objective Burn injury compounded by alcohol results in delayed intestinal motility and bacterial dysbiosis. This is accompanied by impairment of intestinal barrier function. We have identified increases in pathobionts and decreased commensal bacteria, including Akkermansia. Preliminary evidence from our laboratory indicates that Akkermansia muciniphila (A.muc) supplementation may improve intestinal barrier integrity as evidenced by reduced plasma endotoxin following ethanol and burn injury. Methods/Case Report C57BL/6 mice (8-10 week old) were gavaged with 8x08 CFU A.muc or vehicle (saline) 72 and 24 hours prior to receiving alcohol and 12.5% total body surface area (TBSA) burn or sham injury. Mice were euthanized one day after injury, and the distal ileum was fixed in Carnoy’s and stained with Alcian Blue. (n = 5 sham vehicle, n = 4 ethanol burn, n = 5 ethanol burn plus A.muc). Results Ileal sections of ethanol and burn mice exhibited reduced alcian blue intensity compared to sham vehicle, indicating a reduction of mucin staining. Supplementation with A.muc in ethanol and burn partially restored alcian blue intensity compared to ethanol and burn. Conclusion This study suggests that restoring Akkermansia muciniphila may offer a protective effect to victims of burn by improving the intestinal mucin barrier, resulting in enhanced intestinal barrier integrity as evidenced by reduced plasma endotoxin.