Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, relapsing and remitting condition of
inflammation involves overproduction of pro-inflammatory
cytokines and excessive functions of inflammatory cells. However, current treatments for IBD may have potential adverse effects including
steroid dependence,
infections and
lymphoma. Therefore new
therapies for the treatment of IBD are desperately needed. In the present study, we aimed to examine the effect of
andrographolide sulfonate, a water-soluble form of
andrographolide (trade name: Xi-Yan-Ping Injection), on murine experimental
colitis induced by 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene
sulfonic acid (TNBS).
Andrographolide sulfonate was administrated through
intraperitoneal injection to mice with TNBS-induced
colitis. TNBS-induced
body weight loss,
myeloperoxidase activity, shortening of the colon and colonic
inflammation were significantly ameliorated by
andrographolide sulfonate. Both the
mRNA and
protein levels of pro-inflammatory
cytokines were reduced by
andrographolide sulfonate administration. Moreover,
andrographolide sulfonate markedly suppressed the activation of
p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase as well as p65 subunit of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). Furthermore, CD4(+) T cell infiltration as well as the differentiation of Th1 (CD4(+)IFN-γ(+)) and Th17 (CD4(+)IL17A(+)) subset were inhibited by
andrographolide sulfonate. In summary, these results suggest that
andrographolide sulfonate ameliorated TNBS-induced
colitis in mice through inhibiting Th1/Th17 response. Our study shows that water-soluble
andrographolide sulfonate may represent a new therapeutic approach for treating gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders.