Abstract
Background Telocytes (TCs) are a distinct type of interstitial cells that play a vital role in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis and colonic tissue hemostasis. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of nanocurcumin (NC) on the morphometric and immunohistochemical characterization of TCs in the ulcerative colitis (UC) rat model. Methods Forty rats were randomly divided into control, NC, UC, and UC+NC groups. At the end of the experiment, the colon was dissected and prepared for histopathological and immunohistochemical assessment. Tissue homogenates were prepared for real-time PCR assessment of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) gene expression. Our results revealed extensive mucosal damage with inflammatory cell infiltration, significant reduction of CD34, and vimentin immunostained TCs in the colon of the UC group with significant elevation of expression of IL-6, TNF-α, and TGF-β. The UC+NC-treated group revealed significant elevation of TC count compared to the UC group besides, a significant reduction of the three gene expression. Conclusion NC successfully targeted the colonic tissue, improved the mucosal lesion, preserve TCs distribution, and count through its anti-inflammatory and fibrinolytic properties.
Highlights
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a subtype of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), frequently affecting the rectum and left colon [1]
Transmission electron microscopic study of curcumin nanoparticles used in this study revealed an average nanoscale diameter less than 50 nm (Figure 1)
We study the effect of short-term curcumin treatment in the ulcerative colitis (UC) rat model, and long-term treatment with nanocurcumin in chronic or relapsing UC models should be considered in future researches
Summary
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a subtype of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), frequently affecting the rectum and left colon [1]. The pathological characteristics of the disease include increased inflammatory cell infiltration and proinflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukins, in addition to an excessive release of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species with loss of antioxidant abilities of the colon and mucosal continuity [4]. Telocytes (TCs) are a distinct type of interstitial cells that play a vital role in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis and colonic tissue hemostasis. Our results revealed extensive mucosal damage with inflammatory cell infiltration, significant reduction of CD34, and vimentin immunostained TCs in the colon of the UC group with significant elevation of expression of IL-6, TNF-α, and TGF-β. NC successfully targeted the colonic tissue, improved the mucosal lesion, preserve TCs distribution, and count through its anti-inflammatory and fibrinolytic properties
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