Jiawei Xianglian Decoction (JWXLD), a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Alleviates CPT-11-Induced Diarrhea in Mice

Banxia Xiexin decoction combined with 5-ASA protects against CPT-11-induced intestinal dysfunction in rats via inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Banxia Xiexin decoction (BXD) can control irinotecan (CPT-11)-caused delayed diarrhea, but the corresponding mechanism remains undefined.

AIMS

This paper aimed to uncover the mechanism of BXD in regulating CPT-11-caused delayed diarrhea.

MATERIALS & METHODS

Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were assigned into the control, model, BXD low-dose (BXD-L, 5 g/kg), BXD medium-dose (BXD-M, 10 g/kg), BXD high-dose (BXD-H, 15 g/kg), 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA, 10 mL/kg), and BXD-M + 5-ASA groups. Rats were injected intraperitoneally with 150 mg/kg CPT-11 at Day 4 and Day 5 to induce delayed diarrhea, and later treated with various doses (low, medium, and high) of BXD and 5-ASA for 9 days, except for rats in control group. The body weight of rats was measured. The rat colon tissue injury, inflammatory cytokine levels, and the activation of toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-κB (TLR4/NF-κB) signaling pathway were detected.

RESULTS

BXD (5, 10, or 15 g/kg) or 5-ASA (10 mL/kg) alleviated body weight loss and colon tissue injury, decreased levels of inflammatory cytokines, and inactivated TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in CPT-11-induced model rats. BXD at 10 g/kg (the optimal concentration) could better treat CPT-11-induced intestinal dysfunction, as evidenced by the resulting approximately 50% reduction on injury score of model rats. Moreover, BXD-M (10 g/kg) synergistic with 5-ASA (10 mL/kg) further strengthened the inhibition on rat body weight loss, colon tissue injury, inflammatory cytokine levels, and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

To sum up, BXD has a protective effect against CPT-11-induced intestinal dysfunction by inhibiting inflammation through inactivation TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. In particular, the combined use of BXD and 5-ASA holds great promise for treating CPT-11-induced delayed diarrhea.

Baicalein, a component of banxia xiexin decoction, alleviates CPT-11-induced gastrointestinal dysfunction by inhibiting ALOX15-mediated ferroptosis

Baicalein, one of the active ingredients of banxia xiexin decoction, has good therapeutic efficacy in treating diarrhea and improving gastrointestinal dysfunction. The role and mechanism of Baicalein on irinotecan (CPT-11)-induced gastrointestinal dysfunction are the focus of this study. Concretely, CPT-11 induced delayed diarrhea rat model and intestinal epithelial cell (IEC)-6 cell injury model with Baicalein treatment as needed. Colonic pathological changes were analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, and inflammatory factor expressions in serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunohistochemistry and western blot were performed to quantify ferroptosis-related protein expressions. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) kits and colorimetric assay kit were applied to detect lipid peroxidation levels and Fe2+ content, respectively. In vitro experiments also included quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, cell counting kit-8, and C11 BODIPY staining. CPT-11 induced aggravation of intestinal tissue damage, inflammatory factor release, Fe2+ accumulation, upregulation of lipid peroxidation and 15-Lipoxygenase (ALOX15) expression, and downregulation of glutathione peroxidase 4 (Gpx4) and SLC7A11 in vivo in rats; however, Baicalein dose-dependently reversed the effects of CPT-11. Baicalein elevated cell viability, reduced lipid peroxidation and Fe2+ accumulation, and elevated Gpx4 and SLC7A11 levels, whereas ALOX15 overexpression reversed the effects of Baicalein on a CPT-11-induced IEC-6 cell injury model. In conclusion, Baicalein plays a mitigating role in CPT-11-induced delayed diarrhea via ALOX15-mediated ferroptosis.

Ling Zhi-8, a fungal immunomodulatory protein in Ganoderma lucidum, alleviates CPT-11-induced intestinal injury via restoring claudin-1 expression

CPT-11 (Irinotecan) remains an important chemotherapeutic agent against various solid tumors nowadays. Potential adverse effects, especially gastrointestinal toxicities, are the main limiting factor for its clinical utility. Ling Zhi-8 (LZ-8), a fungal immunomodulatory protein in Ganoderma lucidum mycelia, has potential for drug development due to its multiple bioactivities and functions. This study aimed to explore the influence of LZ-8 on CPT-11-treated IEC-6 cells in vitro and on mice with CPT-11-induced intestinal injury in vivo. The mechanism through which LZ-8 exerted its protective effects was also investigated. In the in vitro study, the viability and claudin-1 expression of IEC-6 cells decreased gradually with increasing concentrations of CPT-11, but LZ-8 treatment had no obvious influence on their viability, morphology, and claudin-1 expression. Pretreatment of LZ-8 significantly improved CPT-11-decreased cell viability and claudin-1 expression in IEC-6 cells. In mice with CPT-11-induced intestinal injury, LZ-8 treatment could ameliorate symptoms and mitigate intestinal damage. Meanwhile, LZ-8 restored claudin-1 expression in the intestinal membranes in CPT-11-treated mice. Collectively, our results demonstrated the protective effects of LZ-8 against CPT-11 damage in both IEC-6 cells and mice. LZ-8 can restore claudin-1 expression in intestinal cells following CPT-11 treatment, suggesting the role of claudin-1 in the scenario.

The Role of Gut Microbial β-Glucuronidase in Estrogen Reactivation and Breast Cancer

Over the past decade, the gut microbiota has received considerable attention for its interactions with the host. Microbial β-glucuronidase generated by this community has hence aroused concern for its biotransformation activity to a wide range of exogenous (foreign) and endogenous compounds. Lately, the role of gut microbial β-glucuronidase in the pathogenesis of breast cancer has been proposed for its estrogen reactivation activity. This is plausible considering that estrogen glucuronides are the primary products of estrogens' hepatic phase II metabolism and are subject to β-glucuronidase-catalyzed hydrolysis in the gut via bile excretion. However, research in this field is still at its very preliminary stage. This review outlines the biology of microbial β-glucuronidase in the gastrointestinal tract and elaborates on the clues to the existence of microbial β-glucuronidase-estrogen metabolism-breast cancer axis. The research gaps in this field will be discussed and possible strategies to address these challenges are suggested.

The impact of probiotics on gut health via alternation of immune status of monogastric animals

The intestinal immune system is affected by various factors during its development, such as maternal antibodies, host genes, intestinal microbial composition and activity, and various stresses (such as weaning stress). Intestinal microbes may have an important impact on the development of the host immune system. Appropriate interventions such as probiotics may have a positive effect on intestinal immunity by regulating the composition and activity of intestinal microbes. Moreover, probiotics participate in the regulation of host health in many ways; for instance, by improving digestion and the absorption of nutrients, immune response, increasing the content of intestinal-beneficial microorganisms, and inhibiting intestinal-pathogenic bacteria, and they participate in regulating intestinal diseases in various ways. Probiotics are widely used as additives in livestock and the poultry industry and bring health benefits to hosts by improving intestinal microbes and growth performance, which provides more choices for promoting strong and efficient productivity.