Anti-inflammatory effects of Huangqin tang extract in mice on ulcerative colitis.

Abstract

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:

HuangqinTang (HQT) is a traditional Chinese formula which is composed of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Paeonia lactiflora Pall, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, and Ziziphus jujube Mill. HQT has been used in China for a wide range of disorders, especially in gastrointestinal inflammation with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and so on.

AIM OF THE STUDY:

To investigate the protective effects of HQT extract on 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) induced colitis in mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Different doses of HQT extract (1, 2 and 4 g/kg/day) and salicylazosulfapyridine (SASP, 500 mg/kg/day) were administered by gavage for 7 days after the induction of colitis with TNBS. The effects were studied by macroscopic score, histological analysis, immunohistochemical study of Cyclo-oxygenase-2 protein expression, as well as by determination of inflammation markers such as myeloperoxidase (MPO) and mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6.

RESULTS:

In TNBS induced group, mice body weight decreased gradually and did not recover at the end of the experiment, as compared with that of control group (p<0.01). Edema and redness were also discovered in the colons profoundly and scores representing inflammation were all high in this group (p<0.01). The level of colonic MPO activity and the tissue levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 were markedly increased (p<0.01). The mice treated with HQT extract and SASP recovered significantly compared with the TNBS group (p<0.01).

CONCLUSION:

Our results suggested that the efficacy of HQT extract, especially at the higher dose, was analogous to that of SASP, which implicated its potential application as a natural alternative medicine in colitis treatment.

• Authors: Peidong Chen, Xi Zhou, Li Zhang, Mingqiu Shan, Beihua Bao, Yudan Cao, An Kang, Anwei Ding
• Journal: Journal of ethnopharmacology (J Ethnopharmacol) Vol. 162 Pg. 207-14 (Mar 13 2015) ISSN: 1872-7573 [Electronic] Ireland
• PMID: 25576893 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Cytokines
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• Huangqin-Tang
• Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid

Topics

• Animals
• Colitis, Ulcerative (drug therapy)
• Cytokines (genetics, metabolism)
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal (pharmacology)
• Gene Expression Regulation (drug effects)
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid (toxicity)