title: Preventive and therapeutic euphol treatment attenuates experimental colitis in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The tetracyclic triterpene euphol is the main constituent found in the sap of Euphorbia tirucalli. This plant is widely known in Brazilian traditional medicine for its use in the treatment of several kinds of cancer, including leukaemia, prostate and breast cancers. Here, we investigated the effect of euphol on experimental models of colitis and the underlying mechanisms involved in its action.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Colitis was induced in mice either with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) or with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS), and the effect of euphol (3, 10 and 30 mg/kg) on colonic injury was assessed. Pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines were measured by immunohistochemistry, enzyme-Linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA), real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and flow cytometry. Preventive and therapeutic oral administration of euphol attenuated both DSS- and TNBS-induced acute colitis as observed by a significant reduction of the disease activity index (DAI), histological/microscopic damage score and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in colonic tissue. Likewise, euphol treatment also inhibited colon tissue levels and expression of IL-1β, CXCL1/KC, MCP-1, MIP-2, TNF-α and IL-6, while reducing NOS2, VEGF and Ki67 expression in colonic tissue. This action seems to be likely associated with inhibition of activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). In addition, euphol decreased LPS-induced MCP-1, TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-γ, but increased IL-10 secretion from bone marrow-derived macrophages in vitro. Of note, euphol, at the same schedule of treatment, markedly inhibited both selectin (P- and E-selectin) and integrin (ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and LFA-1) expression in colonic tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Together, these results clearly demonstrated that orally-administered euphol, both preventive or therapeutic treatment were effective in reducing the severity of colitis in two models of chemically-induced mouse colitis and suggest this plant-derived compound might be a potential molecule in the management of inflammatory bowel diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Centre of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Dutra
authors.forename: Rafaela F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Claudino
authors.forename: Allisson F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Bento
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marcon
authors.forename: Eder C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Zenilda L
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Bouzon
authors.forename: Luiz F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Pianowski
authors.forename: João B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Calixto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003092:Colitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D007810:Lanosterol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016328:NF-kappa B; D007810:Lanosterol; C062557:euphol
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