title: Anticolitis activity of Chinese herbal formula yupingfeng powder via regulating colonic enterochromaffin cells and serotonin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether traditional Chinese herbal formula Yupingfeng (YPF) powder has an anti-inflammatory effect on colonic inflammation, and to explore the mechanism involved.
  
  
  METHODS
  YPF powder was orally administrated to trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis mice at the dose of 3, 6, and 12 g/kg/d for 7 consecutive days. Body weight, stool consistency, histopathological score, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were tested to evaluate the effect of YPF powder on colonic inflammation while colonic enterochromaffin (EC) cell density and serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) content were investigated to identify the effect of YPF powder on colonic 5-HT availability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the body weight of colitis mice was markedly decreased by 10, 12, 14, and 17% at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days (P < 0.05), whereas stool consistency score (3.6 vs. 0.4, P < 0.05), histopathological score (3.6 vs. 0.3, P < 0.05), and MPO activity (2.7 vs. 0.1, P < 0.05) in colitis mice were significantly increased compared to that of the normal mice; YPF powder treatment dose-dependently increased the body weight (7-13% increase) and decreased the stool consistency score (0.4-1.4 decrease), histopathological score (0.2-0.7 decrease), and MPO activity (0.1-0.9 decrease) in colitis mice. Colonic EC cell density (70% increase) and 5-HT content (40% increase) were markedly increased in colitis mice (P < 0.05), YPF powder treatment dose-dependently reduced EC cell density (20-50% decrease), and 5-HT content (5-27% decrease) in colitis mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings demonstrate that the anti-inflammatory effect of YPF powder on TNBS - induced colitis may be mediated via reducing EC cell hyperplasia and 5-HT content. The important role of YPF powder in regulating colonic EC cell number and 5-HT content may provide an alternative therapy for colonic inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Gansu College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China.
authors.forename: Kai-hong
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Zang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
authors.forename: Guo-qiang
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
authors.forename: Hong-yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Qin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003092:Colitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004759:Enterochromaffin Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006965:Hyperplasia; D008297:Male; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D011208:Powders; D011897:Random Allocation; D012701:Serotonin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013851:Thinness / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D011208:Powders; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; C532967:yupingfeng; D012701:Serotonin; D009195:Peroxidase
keywords: Colonic inflammation; enterochromaffin cell; serotonin; ulcerative colitis