2. Academic Validation
  3. Palmatine ameliorated murine colitis by suppressing tryptophan metabolism and regulating gut microbiota

Palmatine ameliorated murine colitis by suppressing tryptophan metabolism and regulating gut microbiota

  • Pharmacol Res. 2018 Nov;137:34-46. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2018.09.010.
Xiao-Jun Zhang 1,  Zhong-Wen Yuan 2,  Chang Qu 3,  Xiu-Ting Yu 4,  Tao Huang 5,  Ping Vicky Chen 6,  Zi-Ren Su 7,  Yao-Xing Dou 8,  Jia-Zhen Wu 9,  Hui-Fang Zeng 10,  Ying Xie 11,  Jian-Nan Chen 12
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 2 State Key Laboratory for Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 3 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Development and Research of Chinese Medicine, Mathematical Engineering Academy of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 4 The First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510405, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 5 School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 6 Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 7 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Development and Research of Chinese Medicine, Mathematical Engineering Academy of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 8 The First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510405, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 9 The First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510405, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 10 The First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510405, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 11 State Key Laboratory for Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 12 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Development and Research of Chinese Medicine, Mathematical Engineering Academy of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 30243842 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2018.09.010
Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), majorly include Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is chronic and relapsing inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, which treatment options remain limited. Here we examined the therapeutic effects of an isoquinoline alkaloid, Palmatine (Pal), on mice experimental colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) and explored underlying mechanisms. Colitis was induced in BALB/c mice by administering 3% DSS in drinking water for 7 days. Pal (50 and 100 mg kg-1) and the positive drug Sulfasalazine (SASP, 200 mg kg-1) were orally administered for 7 days. Disease activity index (DAI) was evaluated on day 8, and colonic tissues were collected for biochemistry analysis. The fecal microbiota was characterized by high-throughput Illumina MiSeq sequencing. And plasma metabolic changes were detected by UPLC-MS. Our results showed that Pal treatment significantly reduced DAI scores and ameliorated colonic injury in mice with DSS-induced colitis. Mucosal integrity was improved and cell Apoptosis was inhibited. Moreover, gut microbiota analysis showed that mice received Pal-treatment have higher relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, but reduced amount of Proteobacteria. Moreover, Pal not only suppressed tryptophan catabolism in plasma, but also decreased the protein expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO-1, the rate-limiting Enzyme of tryptophan catabolism) in colon tissue. This is consolidated by molecular docking, which suggested that Pal is a potent IDO-1 inhibitor. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that Pal ameliorated DSS-induced colitis by mitigating colonic injury, preventing gut microbiota dysbiosis, and regulating tryptophan catabolism, which indicated that Pal has great therapeutic potential for colitis.

Keywords

Gut microbiota; Palmatine; Tryptophan metabolism; Ulcerative colitis.

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