Anti-helicobacter pylori effect of total alkaloids of sophora alopecuroides in vivo

Background Helicobacterpylori （H.pylori） infection could lead to most gastroduodenal diseases and is even identified as a carcinogen of gastric cancer.Total alkaloids of sophora alopecuroides （TASA） is widely used in herbal remedies to treat various infectious diseases,including stomach-associated diseases.This study is aimed at evaluating the antimicrobial activity of TASA on H.pylori-infected BALB/c mice mouse gastritis.Methods Totally 120 BALB/c mice were orally inoculated with H.pylori Bacterial liquid to construct BALB/c mice H.pylori infection gastritis animal model,after the model was successfully created.We randomly assigned 100 infected mice into 10 treatment groups,the first group （normal saline）; the second group （bismuth pectin）; the third group （omeprazole）; the fourth group （TASA 2 mg/d）; the fifth group （TASA 4 mg/d）; the sixth group （TASA 5 mg/d）; the seventh group （TASA ＋ bismuth pectin）; the eighth group （TASA ＋ omeprazole）; the ninth group （bismuth pectin ＋ clarithromycin ＋ metronidazole）;the tenth group （omeprazole ＋ clarithromycin ＋ metronidazole）,5 other non-infected mice as negative control.Mice were orally inoculated twice a day and 7 days continuously.Then the mice were killed 4 weeks after treatment,we used realtime PCR to detect 16sDNA of H.pylori to test both the colonization and the clearance mice of bacteria of each treatment.We applied hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining and immunostaining of mice gastric mucosa to observe the general inflammation and related factors interleukin 8 （IL-8）,cyclooxygenase 2 （COX-2）,and nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-KB） expression change after treatments.Results Firstly,we ensured that after 6-week intragastric administration,the bacteria colonization reached an exceed peak which is far higher than positive threshold （P ＜0.001）; secondly,after treatments,it is revealed that TASA combined with omeprazole or bismuth pectin showed promising antimicrobial activity against H.pylori as well as conventional triple therapy （P ＜0.001）; thirdly,HE staining showed that the inflammation on mice gastric mucosal membrane were also relieved obviously in TASA combined treatments and conventional triple therapy compared with normal saline treated mice,moreover,from immunohistochemistry results,H.pylori-induced IL-8,COX-2,and NF-KB were consistently suppressed in seventh,eighth,ninth,and tenth group to a certain extent.Conclusion These results open the possibility of taking TASA as an anti-inflammatory agent for H.pylori gastritis.

Protective Effect of Total Alkaloids of Sophora Alopecuroides on Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Chronic Colitis

Objective：To investigate the effect of total alkaloids of Sophora alopecuroides（TASA） on dextran sulfate sodium（DSS）-induced colitis in mice.Methods：Chronic experimental colitis was induced by administration of 4 cycles of 4%DSS.Fifty mice were randomly distributed into 4 groups（normal,DSS,DSS/high-dose TASA, and DSS/low-dose TASA groups） by a random number table with body weight stratification.Mice in the normal group（n=11） and DSS-induced colitis control group（n=15） received control treatment of 20 mL/kg distilled water; DSS plus TASA high- and low-dose groups（n=12 each） were treated with TASA solution（20 mL/kg） at the doses of 60 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg,respectively.The severity of colitis was assessed on the basis of clinical signs, colon length,and histology scores.Moreover,secretory immunoglobulin A（slgA） and haptoglobin（HP） were analyzed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay;intercellular adhesion molecule 1（ICAM-1） and macrophage-migration inhibitory factor（MIF） gene expressions were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcriptase realtime polymerase chain reaction（qRT-PCR） using SYBA greenⅠ;and nuclear factorκB（NF-κB） expression and activation and p65 interaction with the promoter of ICAM-1 gene were assessed by Western blotting and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay.Results：TASA administration significantly attenuated the damage and substantially reduced HP elevation and maintained the level of cecum slgA.TASA inhibited the ICAM-1 gene expression and had no effect on MIF gene expression.Also,TASA was able to reduce phospho-lκBα（p-lκBα） protein expression;however,it had no effect on the activation of IκB kinaseα（IKKα） and inhibitor of NF-κBα（IκBα）.Moreover,TASA inhibited the p65 recruitment to the ICAM-1 gene promoter.Conclusions：TASA had a protective effect on DSS-induced colitis.Such effect may be associated with its inhibition of NF-κB activation and blockade of NF-κB-regulated transcription activation of proinflammatory mediator gene.

Total alkaloids of Sophora alopecuroides-and matrine-induced reactive oxygen species impair biofilm formation of Staphylococcus epidermidis and increase bacterial susceptibility to ciprofloxacin

Objective:To investigate the mechanism by which total alkaloids of Sophora alopecuroides(TASA)and matrine(MT)impair biofilm to increase the susceptibility of Staphylococcus epidermidis(S.epidermidis)to ciprofloxacin.Methods:The minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration(mBIC)was determined using a 2-fold dilution method.Structure of biofilm of S.epidermidis was examined by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope(CLSM).The cellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)was determined using a DCFH-DA assay.The key factors related to the regulation of ROS were accessed using respective kits.Results:TASA and MT were more beneficial to impair biofilm of S.epidermidis than ciprofloxacin(CIP)(P<0.05).TASA and MT were not easily developed resistance to biofilm-producing S.epidermidis.The mBIC of CIP decreased by 2-6-fold following the treatment of sub-biofilm inhibitory concentration(sub-BIC)TASA and MT,whereas the mBIC of CIP increased by 2-fold following a treatment of sub-BIC CIP from the first to sixth generations.TASA and MT can improve the production of ROS in biofilmproducing S.epidermidis.The ROS content was decreased 23%-33%following the treatment of submBIC CIP,whereas ROS content increased 7%-24%following treatment with TASA+CIP and MT+CIP combination from the first to sixth generations.Nitric oxide(NO)as a ROS,which was consistent with the previously confirmed relationship between ROS and drug resistance.Related regulatory factorssuperoxide dismutase(SOD)and glutathione peroxidase(GSH)could synergistically maintain the redox balance in vivo.Conclusion:TASA and MT enhanced reactive oxygen species to restore the susceptibility of S.epidermidis to ciprofloxacin.