Cucurbitacin E Alleviates Colonic Barrier Function Impairment and Inflammation Response and Improves Microbial...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Gastroenterology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Cucurbitacins possess diverse pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory effects.
• Cucurbitacin E, a key cucurbitacin, has demonstrated potential in inhibiting inflammatory responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of cucurbitacin E in a mouse model of colitis.
• To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of cucurbitacin E's action on colitis, focusing on inflammation, gut microbiota, and host gene expression.

Main Methods:

• Colitis was induced in male mice using 2.5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS).
• Mice were treated with cucurbitacin E during and after DSS administration.
• Disease activity, colonic histology, intestinal barrier function, inflammatory markers, gut microbiota composition (16S rRNA sequencing), and host gene expression (transcriptome sequencing) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Cucurbitacin E treatment alleviated DSS-induced weight loss and colonic damage.
• It reduced inflammatory cytokine expression and cell apoptosis while preserving intestinal barrier integrity.
• Cucurbitacin E modulated gut microbiota composition and altered host gene expression, particularly in NFκB and TNF signaling pathways.

Conclusions:

• Cucurbitacin E demonstrates protective effects against colitis by modulating inflammation, gut microbiota, and host gene expression.
• These findings support the therapeutic potential of cucurbitacin E for colitis treatment.
• The study highlights the role of gut microbes as potential therapeutic targets in colitis.