Bromelain improves decrease in defecation in postoperative rats: modulation of colonic gene expression of inducible...

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Pharmacology
• Surgical Complications

Background:

• Postoperative ileus is a common and problematic complication of abdominal surgery.
• Current therapies for ileus are limited, highlighting the need for novel treatments.
• Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) pathways are implicated in intestinal inflammation and dysmotility post-surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of bromelain in an animal model of postoperative ileus.
• To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying bromelain's effects on intestinal inflammation and motility.

Main Methods:

• Oral administration of bromelain to rats undergoing laparotomy and intestinal manipulation.
• Assessment of fecal output, intestinal weight, and water content.
• Analysis of iNOS and inhibitor kappaBalpha mRNA expression in the colon.
• In vitro studies using macrophage cell lines to assess lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced responses and NF-kappaB activation.

Main Results:

• Bromelain administration significantly improved defecation and increased fecal output in postoperative rats.
• Bromelain treatment inhibited overexpression of iNOS mRNA and restored down-regulated inhibitor kappaBalpha mRNA.
• In vitro, bromelain suppressed LPS-induced nitrite production and NF-kappaB reporter gene expression in macrophages.

Conclusions:

• Bromelain demonstrates therapeutic potential for managing postoperative ileus in rats.
• The mechanism involves the inhibition of colonic iNOS overexpression through the NF-kappaB pathway.
• Bromelain may represent a beneficial intervention for patients suffering from postoperative ileus.