ACADEMIC STAFF (PS) – Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University

Dr. Panan Suntornsaratoon

E-mail: panan.sun@mahidol.ac.th, (66)-2201-5

Education

Research Interests

Postdoctoral fellow at Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, NJ, USA, 2022
Ph.D. (Physiology) , Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, 2014
M.Sc. (Physiology), Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, 2009
(Biology) , Srinakarinwirot University, 2005

1. UN SDG ที่เกี่ยวข้อง : SDG 3 “Inhibitory effect of Zingiber cassumunar Roxb. (Phlai) on nasal cytokine productions and eosinophilic recruitment in patients with allergic rhinitis” Allergic rhinitis (AR) is chronic upper respiratory tract disease which affects quality of life. AR exhibits inflammatory response in the nasal mucosa characterized by activation of mast cells, eosinophils and T-lymphocytes. Zingiber cassumuunar Roxb. (Phlai) has been used for the treatment of allergies including AR since it has anti-histamine effect but the assessment of nasal cytokine and eosinophil production has not been investigated. This study was a randomized, double-blinded examination. We found that AR patients received Phai for 2 weeks exhibited reductions in IL-5, IL-13 and number of eosinophils in nasal secretion, and reduced in total nasal symptoms scoring while there were no significant differences in all nasal cytokines, eosinophil counts in subjects received placebo. Phai is a promising herbal medicine for alleviating inflammation and AR symptoms.

2. UN SDG ที่เกี่ยวข้อง : SDG 3 “Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG stimulates dietary tryptophan-dependent production of barrier-protecting methylnicotinamide” Besides the roles of digestion and absorption of nutrients into the body, intestinal epithelial cells also function to protect and screen out various substances, such as toxins or pathogens inside intestinal lumen, preventing them from entering the bloodstream. Tight junction proteins are transmembrane proteins that control the paracellular passage of ions and molecules. If the intestinal epithelial cells become inflamed, it can damage this barrier, allowing toxins or pathogens to enter the body. Research has shown that Lacticaseibacillus (formerly Lactobacillus) rhamnosus GG can alleviate leaky gut syndrome caused by autoimmune diseases, as well as in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), although the mechanisms are not yet fully understood. This research focuses on uncovering the mechanisms by which this microorganism communicates with intestinal cells to regulate tight junction proteins and the interactions between the microorganism and host cells. It was found that LGG-inoculated mice had elevated levels of methylnicotinamide (a vitamin B3 metabolite) in the serum, which correlated with the expression of tight junction proteins. Specifically, higher levels of MNA in the serum were associated with increased expression of tight junction proteins. These results were confirmed in enteroids and in mice that were induced intestinal inflammation by dextran sodium sulfate. Both Mice and enteroids that received MNA treatment showed increased tight junction proteins and increased transepithelial resistance. This research has discovered a new analytical method to study the relationship between metabolomics and transcriptomics, which can be applied to screen for interesting metabolites or genes that respond to specific gut microorganisms for further study.