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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1423012

Wuwei Kushen Changrong capsule alleviates DSS-induced colitis in mice via inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome and STAT3 pathway

Provisionally accepted
Mingjun Chen Mingjun Chen 1*Yang Feng Yang Feng 2Dan Luo Dan Luo 3Chen Zhang Chen Zhang 4Jing Zhou Jing Zhou 5Hengheng Dai Hengheng Dai 2Mingxiong Lin Mingxiong Lin 2Zhanqi Tong Zhanqi Tong 2*
  • 1 National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
  • 2 People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China
  • 3 the Third People's Hospital of Longgang District, Shenzhen, China
  • 4 Other, Tianjin, China
  • 5 Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Purpose: Wuwei Kushen Changrong capsule (Composite Sophora Colon-soluble Capsule, CSCC) is a Chinese patent medicine developed to treat ulcerative colitis. Studies highlight CSCC potential efficacy for ulcerative colitis (UC) but unclear mechanism limits its widely treatment for patients. We aimed to investigate the anti-colitis efficacy of CSCC and explore the mechanism by which GPR43 inhibits the NLRP3/STAT3 signaling pathway, thereby mediating the protective effects of CSCC on the intestinal barrier. Methods: The protective effects of CSCC were evaluated in a murine ulcerative colitis model induced by 3% DSS. Assessments included body weight, Disease Activity Index (DAI) score, colon length, and histopathological score. Colon tissue, cell function, and immuneinflammatory status were evaluated using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, ELISA, and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-PCR). Protein expression levels of relevant pathways and receptors were measured using Western blot. All experiments were repeated. Results: CSCC protected mice from DSS-induced colitis by upregulating Gpr43, promoting the expression of ZO-1 and Occludin tight junction proteins. Mechanistically, CSCC inhibits the MEK4/JNK1/STAT3 activation pathway, consequently suppressing the STAT3/NLRP3/IL-1β pathway and inhibiting the production of inflammatory factors such as IL-17A. Conclusion: The mechanisms through which CSCC protects against DSS-induced colitis may include upregulating Gpr43, inhibiting the STAT3/NLRP3 pathway, and suppressing inflammation factors like IL-17A. These findings highlight the mechanisms underlying CSCC's anti-colitis effects and suggest its potential as a therapeutic candidate for managing the progression of UC.

    Keywords: Wuwei Kushen Changrong capsule, murine ulcerative colitis model, NLRP3 inflammasome pathway, ulcerative colitis, STAT3 ASA, mesalazine, BSA, bovine serum albumin, CSCC, Wuwei Kushen Changrong capsule, DMEM, Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium, DSS, Dextran sulfate sodium ECCO, European Crohn's and Colitis Organization, ECL, electrochemiluminescence, ERK, extracellular signalregulated kinase, FBS, fetal bovine serum

    Received: 02 May 2024; Accepted: 30 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Chen, Feng, Luo, Zhang, Zhou, Dai, Lin and Tong. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Mingjun Chen, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China
    Zhanqi Tong, People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, Beijing Municipality, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.