title: The suppressive effect of triptolide on chronic colitis and TNF-alpha/TNFR2 signal pathway in interleukin-10 deficient mice.
abstract: Recent studies have suggested a critical role of TNFR2 signaling associated with NF-kappaB activation in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease. Triptolide, an extract from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook, has both anti-immune and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we evaluated its possible therapeutic effects on colitis in interleukin-10 deficient mice, a murine model of Crohn's disease. Triptolide was administered to IL-10(-/-) mice intraperitoneally every other day for 8 weeks. The severity of colitis in IL-10(-/-) mice was obviously reduced after triptolide treatment, with a reduction in the numbers of CD4+ T cells and macrophages in lamina propria. Triptolide also significantly decreased the production of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma in colon. Furthermore, triptolide suppressed TNFR2 expression and NF-kappaB activation in colon of IL-10(-/-) mice. These data suggested that triptolide could ameliorate Th1-mediated chronic colitis and disordered immune state in IL-10(-/-) mice. A possible mechanism could be inhibiting TNF-alpha/TNFR2 signal pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Jianfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Pengfei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Weiming
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jieshou
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li