title: Influence of Shenqing Recipe on morphology and quantity of colonic interstitial cells of Cajal in trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid induced rat colitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the influence of Shenqing Recipe (SQR), a kind of Traditional Chinese Medicine, on the morphology and quantity of colonic interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced rat colitis, and to investigate the possible mechanism of SQR in regulating intestinal dynamics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty rats were randomly divided into normal control, model 1, model 2, mesalazine, and high-dose, and low-dose SQR groups with 10 rats in each group. TNBS (10 mg) dissolved in 50% ethanol was instilled into the lumen of the rat colon of the latter five groups to induce colitis. On the 4th day after administration of TNBS, each treatment group was administered one of the following formulations by enteroclysis gavage once a day for 7 days: 600 mg•kg⁻¹•d⁻¹ mesalazine, 2.4 g•kg⁻¹•d⁻¹ SQR, and 1.2 g•kg⁻¹•d⁻¹ SQR. Model 2 rats received normal saline solution. After 7 days colonic samples were collected. While the colonic samples of model 1 group were collected on the 3rd day after TNBS administered. Ultrastructure of ICC in the damaged colonic tissues was observed with transmission electron microscope. Expression of c-kit protein in colonic tissue was determined by immunohistochemical staining and Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ultrastructure of colonic ICC in the rat model of TNBS-induced colitis showed a severe injury, and administration of SQR or mesalazine reduced the severity of injury. Similarly, the expression of c-kit protein of TNBS-induced colitis rat model was significantly decreased compared with the normal control group (P < 0.05). Treatment with SQR or mesalazine significantly increased the expression of c-kit protein compared with the administration of control formulations (P < 0.05), especially the high-dose SQR group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SQR could alleviate and repair the injured ICC, and improve its quantity, which might be involved in regulating intestinal motility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yan-cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Zhi-peng
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Zhen-nan
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ya-li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xin-ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003092:Colitis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003106:Colon / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D056885:Interstitial Cells of Cajal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D019804:Mesalamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014302:Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D019804:Mesalamine; D014302:Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid; D009195:Peroxidase; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit