[Oxymatrine alleviates the inflammatory damage and its mechanism in rats with TNBS-induced colitis]

Objective To investigate the effect of oxymatrine on CD11c⁺ CD103⁺ E-cadherin⁺ cells in rats with colitis induced by a mixture of 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid(TNBS)and ethanol. Methods Forty SPF SD mature male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, including normal group, model group, oxymatrine group (20 mg/kg) and mesalazine group (150 mg/kg). Except the normal group, the other three groups were given a mixture of TNBS and ethanol to establish the colitis model. After the model was established, the rats were treated by drugs for 7 days and the body mass of the rats was weighed daily. After the administration, the colon of the rats was taken to measure the length of the colon and weigh it. The colon mass index was calculated. The pathological damage of colitis rats was tested by HE staining. The levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10), IL-2 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were tested by ELISA, and the frequency of CD11c⁺ CD103⁺ E-cadherin⁺ cells was detected and monitored by flow cytometry. Results After administration, compared with the model group, the body weight of rats in oxymatrine group significantly increased, and the length of the colon significantly increased as well. The weight of the colon and colon mass index significantly decreased. Pathological damage of the colonic mucosa was significantly reduced. The levels of IL-2 and ICAM-1 cytokines significantly went down, and the levels of IL-10 and CD11c⁺ CD103⁺ E-cadherin⁺ cells significantly went up. Conclusion Oxymatrine can alleviate colonic inflammation on laboratory rats by regulating the levels of IL-10, IL-2 and ICAM-1 and increasing the quantity of CD11c⁺ CD103⁺ E-cadherin⁺ cells.