The natural plant product tryptanthrin ameliorates dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis in mice.

Abstract

The therapeutic effects of tryptanthrin (TRYP), a natural product from the medicinal plant Polygonum tinctorium, were examined in a murine model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Colitis was induced by 5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in drinking water for 7 days from day 0. TRYP (100 mg/kg) was administered orally suspended in 5% arabia gum everyday from day 3 for 5 days. Histopathological analysis showed reduced colon damage in TRYP-treated mice on day 6; however, colon injury resumed after treatment was stopped. The production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and nitric oxide (NO) by untreated and treated mouse colon tissues cultured in vitro were mostly unchanged by TRYP treatment. However, mitogen-stimulated spleen cells from TRYP-treated colitic mice produced less interleukin 2 (IL-2) and less interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) than untreated colitic mouse spleen cells, early after induction of colitis. When colitis was induced with 5% DSS for 7 days and TRYP was given to the mice for 8 days from day 3, TRYP enhanced the survival of the mice but results were not significant. A significant reduction of weight loss was observed in TRYP-treated mice with colitis induced by 5% DSS for 4 days as compared to control mice. Remarkably, whereas 90% of the vehicle-treated mice died from wasting disease, all the TRYP-treated mice survived, suggesting that TRYP may have a therapeutic effect on colitis.

• Authors: Mark J Micallef, Kanso Iwaki, Tatsuya Ishihara, Shimpei Ushio, Miho Aga, Toshio Kunikata, Satomi Koya-Miyata, Tetsuo Kimoto, Masao Ikeda, Masashi Kurimoto
• Journal: International immunopharmacology (Int Immunopharmacol) Vol. 2 Issue 4 Pg. 565-78 (Mar 2002) ISSN: 1567-5769 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 11962735 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Biological Factors
• Cytokines
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• Mitogens
• Quinazolines
• tryptanthrine
• Nitric Oxide
• Dextran Sulfate
• Dinoprostone

Topics

• Animals
• Biological Factors (therapeutic use)
• Colitis (chemically induced, drug therapy, metabolism, pathology)
• Colon (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Cytokines (biosynthesis)
• Dextran Sulfate (pharmacology)
• Dinoprostone (metabolism)
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• Female
• Gene Expression
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Mitogens (immunology)
• Nitric Oxide (metabolism)
• Phytotherapy
• Polygonum (chemistry)
• Quinazolines (therapeutic use)
• Spleen (cytology, immunology)
• Time Factors