2. Academic Validation
  3. Lanatoside C ameliorates DSS-induced colitis with improved intestinal barrier integrity and reduced M1 macrophage polarization

Lanatoside C ameliorates DSS-induced colitis with improved intestinal barrier integrity and reduced M1 macrophage polarization

  • Sci Rep. 2026 Jan 28;16(1):6556. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-37484-0.
Longmei Yu # 1 2,  Juntong Liu # 1 2,  Xiaoshan Zhao 1 3 4 5,  Haiyun Zhang 6 7,  Ji Wang 8 9
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 National Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Treatment of Disease, Wangqi Academy of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
  • 2 College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
  • 3 School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
  • 4 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Pharmaceutics, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
  • 5 Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine for Qingzhi Diseases, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
  • 6 National Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Treatment of Disease, Wangqi Academy of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China. [email protected].
  • 7 College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China. [email protected].
  • 8 National Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Treatment of Disease, Wangqi Academy of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China. [email protected].
  • 9 College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China. [email protected].
  • # Contributed equally.
PMID: 41606129 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-37484-0
Abstract

Lanatoside C (LanaC), a cardiac glycoside, has been reported to possess therapeutic potential in acute intestinal inflammation; however, its in vivo effects on ulcerative colitis (UC) remain incompletely understood. In this study, we demonstrated that LanaC effectively attenuates DSS-induced colitis in mice by reducing inflammation, mitigating epithelial damage, and preserving barrier integrity. Mechanistically, LanaC treatment was associated with reduced macrophage infiltration in the colon and spleen, suppression of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophage markers, and enhancement of M2-associated markers. In vitro, LanaC inhibited LPS-induced M1 polarization and pro-inflammatory cytokine production in BMDMs, while promoting IL-4-driven M2 polarization and anti-inflammatory cytokine expression. These effects were accompanied by attenuation of STAT1/STAT3 signaling and enhancement of STAT6 activation, suggesting a selective reprogramming of macrophage responses. Collectively, these findings reveal that LanaC alleviates DSS-induced colitis, at least in part, through regulating macrophage infiltration and repolarization supporting its potential as a macrophage-targeted therapeutic candidate in UC.

Keywords

Lanatoside C; M1 polarization; Macrophages; Ulcerative colitis.

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