Abstract
The traditional Chinese medicine Shen-ling-bai-zhu-san (SLBZS) is described in “Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang.” SLBZS has been shown to be effective against many gastrointestinal diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of SLBZS on experimental colitis in mice and to define the potential mechanisms. Our data suggest that compared to the model group, SLBZS treatment increases mouse body weight and colon length, decreases the DAI score, and improves colonic injury. SLBZS reduces the production of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α) in colon tissue and mouse colonic mucosal epithelial (MCME) cells. Mechanistically, SLBZS inhibits inflammation by inhibiting the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways. Further mechanistic analyses showed that SLBZS attenuates the expression levels of pyroptosis-related genes, including NLRP3, ASC, and GSDMD-N in the colons of mice. In addition, SLBZS restores the levels of the colon tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin, suggesting that it protects colonic barrier integrity and ameliorates the progression of colitis. In this paper, we demonstrate that SLBZS attenuates DSS-induced ulcerative colitis injury in mice via the MAPK/NF-κB and pyroptosis signaling pathway. These results indicate that SLBZS is a potential drug for the treatment of UC.
Highlights
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a nonspecific inflammatory disease that results from chronic inflammation and ulceration of the inner wall of the rectum and colon (Ungaro et al, 2017)
To assess the therapeutic effect of SLBZS on 3% DSS-induced colonic epithelial damage and colitis in mice, we further determined whether SLBZS treatment improves colitis
The mouse 3% DSS-induced colitis model was used to investigate the effect of SLBZS on colitis
Summary
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a nonspecific inflammatory disease that results from chronic inflammation and ulceration of the inner wall of the rectum and colon (Ungaro et al, 2017). UC usually starts at the rectum, involves the colonic mucosa and submucosa, and spreads throughout the colon over time (Ordas et al, 2012). Long-term UC patients have an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (Polytarchou et al, 2015). A number of studies have linked UC with an increased risk of colon cancer and demonstrated that 40% of UC cases over 25 years eventually develop colorectal cancer (Shivashankar et al, 2017). In the West, the incidence and prevalence of UC have increased in the past 50 years, affecting up to 6 to 15/100,000 and 50 to SLBZS Improves DSS-Induced Colitis
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
