2. Academic Validation
  3. Shaoyao decoction restores the mucus layer in mice with DSS-induced colitis by regulating Notch signaling pathway

Shaoyao decoction restores the mucus layer in mice with DSS-induced colitis by regulating Notch signaling pathway

  • J Ethnopharmacol. 2023 Feb 17;116258. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116258.
Yu-Xi Fang 1,  You-Qian Liu 2,  Yi-Min Hu 3,  Yuan-Yuan Yang 3,  Dong-Jian Zhang 4,  Cui-Hua Jiang 4,  Jian-Hua Wang 5,  Jian Zhang 6
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Lishui District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 211200, PR China; Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, PR China.
  • 2 Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Lishui District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 211200, PR China.
  • 3 Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, PR China.
  • 4 Laboratories of Translational Medicine, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, PR China.
  • 5 Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 6 Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Lishui District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 211200, PR China; Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 36806347 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116258
Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Restoring the mucus layer is a potential strategy for treating ulcerative colitis (UC). Previous studies reported that a Chinese medicine formula Shaoyao Decoction (SYD) effectively improved UC. However, the role and mechanism of SYD in restoring the mucus layer are still vague.

Aim of the study: This study was aimed to research the therapeutical effects and unravel the involved mechanism of SYD on DSS-evoked UC.

Materials and methods: First, the constituents of SYD were detected by UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. Then, the DSS-induced UC model was introduced to investigate the pharmacologic action and molecular mechanism of SYD on UC. Pharmacodynamic indicators were assessed including body weight, colon length, ulcerations, disease activity index (DAI), inflammatory cytokines and histological parameters. To investigate the integrality and functions of the mucous layer, AB-PAS stain and UEA-1 stain were used to evaluate the completeness of mucous layer, as well as the maturation of goblet cells (GCs). The Bacterial invasion was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization. As to mechanism exploration, the expressions of Notch/Hes1 pathway were investigated by using agonists in lipopolysaccharides (LPS) -stimulated LS174T cell.

Results: After modeling in mice, SYD remarkedly ameliorated the symptoms of mouse colitis, the expression of pro-inflammatory factors declined, and increased IL-10 expression was observed in SYD-treated mice. Besides, SYD repaired the structure of the mucus layer and prevented Bacterial invasion. Mechanism investigation discovered that SYD promoted GCs differentiation by inhibiting the Notch pathway, which was consistent with the results in LPS-challenged LS174 cell.

Conclusions: These findings demonstrated that SYD could restore the mucus layer to prevent UC via suppressing the Notch signaling pathway, which provides evidences for the UC treatment of SYD in the clinic.

Keywords

Goblet cells differentiation; Mucus layer; Notch; Shaoyao decoction; Ulcerative colitis.

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