Abstract
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the major types of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Abnormal colonic enterochromaffin (EC) cell hyperplasia and serotonin availability have been described in UC. Guchangzhixie-pill (GCZX-pill), a Chinese herbal formula composed of six herbs, is modified based on a traditional formula (Jiechangyan-pill) for inflammatory and ulcerative gastrointestinal disorders. This study aims to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect and the underlying mechanisms of GCZX-pill on trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid- (TNBS-) induced UC in rats. After orally administrating a GCZX-pill to UC rats for 14 days, the results of the inflammation evaluation, such as disease activity index (DAI), macroscopic score (MS), myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and other methods, suggested that the GCZX-pill showed remarkable anti-inflammatory results in UC rats. In addition, the abnormal EC cell numbers, colonic tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) expression, and serotonin (5-HT) contents in TNBS-induced UC rats were significantly reduced by the GCZX-pill. This data demonstrates that the GCZX-pill can attenuate the inflammation in UC rats and the anti-inflammatory effect of the GCZX-pill may be medicated by reducing colonic EC cell hyperplasia and 5-HT availability.
Highlights
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the major types of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that arises as a result of the interaction between environmental and genetic factors leading to immunological responses and inflammation in the intestine
Prunus mume was collected from Dujiangyan, Sichuan, China; Zingiber oj-jicinale Rosc. was collected from Hancheng, Shaanxi, China; Coptis chinensis Franch. was collected from Shizhu, Chongqing, China; Pericarpium Papaveris was collected from Nongken, Gansu, China; Radix Aucklandiae was collected from Dali, Yunnan, China; and Corydalis yanhusuo was collected from Chenggu, Shaanxi, China
The results from this study indicated an important effect for GCZX-pill in inhibiting trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid- (TNBS-)induced UC
Summary
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the major types of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that arises as a result of the interaction between environmental and genetic factors leading to immunological responses and inflammation in the intestine. It is characterized by inflammation of the mucosa of the intestinal tract, causing ulceration, edema, bleeding, and fluid and electrolyte loss [1, 2]. Many side effects, which were caused by these therapeutic approaches, have been reported [3,4,5,6]. Colonic changes in UC are characterized by ulcerative lesions accompanied by a prominent infiltrate of immune cells as well as alteration in serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) [9, 10]. 5-HT, as neurotransmitter and paracrine signalling molecule in gastrointestinal tract (GIT), plays important roles in initiating peristaltic, secretory, vasodilatory, vagal, and nociceptive reflexes, but can activate the immune cells and regulate the GIT inflammation and intestinal pathophysiology as has been reported in past studies [11, 12]. 5-HT is synthesized and released from enterochromaffin (EC) cells and the tryptophan hydroxylase
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