Hederagenin Alleviates Ulcerative Colitis via Suppressing the Activation of EGFR/p38 MAPK Signaling

Background: Hederagenin (HDG) has been reported to attenuate the development of inflammatory diseases. Herein, we explored the functions and potential mechanisms of HDG on ulcerative colitis.

Methods: We established an ulcerative colitis model in mouse using 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) and in IEC-6 cells using LPS. Body weight, disease activity index (DAI) score, and colon length were recorded, and histopathological changes of colon tissues were observed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. The expression of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors in colitic mice and IEC-6 cells was detected by ELISA and qRT-PCR. Moreover, we also detected the effect of HDG on the levels of GSH, SOD, and CAT in DSS-treated mice. Subsequently, the influences of HDG on intestinal barrier impairment were explored by using western blot and immunofluorescence. Next, network pharmacology analysis, RNA Sequencing analysis, western blot, immunofluorescence, and rescue experiments were utilized to explore the latent mechanisms of HDG on ulcerative colitis.

Results: HDG alleviated DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in mice via ameliorating intestinal barrier impairment, inflammation, and oxidative stress. HDG also improved epithelial barrier function and inflammatory responses in LPS-stimulated IEC-6 cells. Besides, we discovered that HDG could inhibit the activation of EGFR/p38 MAPK signaling. Subsequently, rescue experiments using NSC228155 or anisomycin revealed that HDG could improve epithelial barrier function and inflammation via suppressing the activation of the EGFR/p38 MAPK pathway in LPS-induced IEC-6 cells.

Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that HDG could alleviate ulcerative colitis by inhibiting the activation of EGFR/p38 MAPK signaling, improving epithelial barrier function, and inflammation.