Effect of Arctium lappa L.in the dextran sulfate sodium colitis mouse model

AIM:To analyze the possible protective role of Arctium lappa L.(AL)in a murine model of ulcerative colitis(UC).METHODS:BALB/c mice were administered 100 mg/kg AL powder orally each day.After 7 d,colitis was induced by administration of dextran sulfate sodium(DSS)(5% W/V)in drinking water for a further 8 consecutive days.Diarrhea and bloody stools as well as colonic histology were observed.The level of interleukin-6(IL-6)and tu-mor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in colonic sections were detected by immunohistochemistry.RESULTS:There were significant differences in mean body weight values and disease activity indices between controls and AL-treated animals.Moreover,the histological findings showed that AL treatment can prevent mucosal edema,submucosal erosions,ulceration,inflammatory cell infiltration and colon damage.In addition,immunohistochemistry analysis showed that the levels of the inflammatory cytokines,IL-6 and TNF-α were also decreased in AL-treated groups.CONCLUSION:We suggest that AL can prevent intestinal damage and decrease inflammatory cytokines in mice with DSS-induced colitis.Thus,AL could prove to be a useful food for UC.

Imperatorin alleviates Aβ-induced spatial learning memory impairment and neuroinflam⁃mation in model mice of Alzheimer disease

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of imperatorin on the spatial learning memory impairment and neuroinflammation in model mice of Alzheimer disease(AD)induced by intracerebroventricular injection of Aβ1-42.METHODS Mouse model of AD was established by injection of Aβ1-42 into the lateral ventricles.Im⁃peratorin(2.5 and 5.0 mg·kg-1,daily)was inject⁃ed by intraperitoneally 1 h after intracerebroven⁃tricular injection for 13 d.The effect of imperato⁃rin on the spatial learning and memory impair⁃ment was assessed by eight arm maze tests.The levels of cytokines TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,IL-18 and chemokines MCP-1 in mouse cortex and hip⁃pocampus were detected by ELISA.The protein expression of NF-κB P65,TLR4,MyD88,p-P38,p-ERK,and p-JNK were detected by Western blotting.RESULTS As compared with the AD model group,imperatorin treatment significantly attenuated Aβ1-42-induced spatial learning and memory impairment assessed by eight arm maze tests.In addition,imperatorin significantly reduced the levels of cytokines TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,IL-18 and chemokines MCP-1 in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus.Meanwhile,Western blotting results showed that imperatorin treat⁃ment significantly down-regulated the protein expression of NF-κB P65,TLR4,MyD88,p-P38,p-ERK,and p-JNK.CONCLUSION Imperatorin has neuroprotective effects in the Aβ1-42 induced AD model mice and its mechanism may be partially associated with the inhibition of inflam⁃matory response in the cortex and hippocampus.