title: Topical application of glycyrrhizin preparation ameliorates experimentally induced colitis in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the efficacy of glycyrrhizin preparation (GL-p) in the treatment of a rat model of ulcerative colitis (UC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental colitis was induced by oral administration of dextran sodium sulfate. Rats with colitis were intrarectally administered GL-p or saline. The extent of colitis was evaluated based on body weight gain, colon wet weight, and macroscopic damage score. The expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the inflamed mucosa were measured by cytokine antibody array analysis. The effect of GL-p on myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the inflamed mucosa and purified enzyme was assayed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GL-p treatment significantly ameliorated the extent of colitis compared to sham treatment with saline. Cytokine antibody array analysis showed that GL-p treatment significantly decreased the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-2, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in the inflamed mucosa. Furthermore, GL-p inhibited the oxidative activity of mucosal and purified MPO.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GL-p enema has a therapeutic effect on experimental colitis in rats and may be useful in the treatment of UC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma 371-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.forename: Yajing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Takashige
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masuo
authors.forename: Masatomo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003092:Colitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis; D016264:Dextran Sulfate; D004733:Enema; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid; D016264:Dextran Sulfate; D009195:Peroxidase; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium