Regulatory effect of a Chinese medicine Wuji Pill ( WJW) on brain-gut peptides in the rats of post-inflammatory irritable bowel syndrome / 中国实验动物学报

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the biological indicators of diagnosis and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and to explore the mechanism of action of a Chinese medicine Wuji Pill (WJW) on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Methods (1) Postinflammatory irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS) rat model was established by acetic acid plus restraint stress method . (2) The colonic motor ability of rats was evaluated by colon motility index (MI), the number of fecal particles discharged within 2 h, and the time of glass pellet discharge. (3) The formation of PI-IBS model rats and the therapeutic effect of WJW were observed. (4) The levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), motilin (MTL), neuropeptide Y (NPY), substance P (SP), somatostatin (SS), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and cholecystokinin (CCK) in the brain and colon tissues of PI-IBS rats were measured by ELISA. Results (1) The rat PI-IBS model was successfully established. Compared with the normal group, the body weight of the model rats was decreased, the food intake decreased, the amount of feces increased, loose stools and amorphous soft stools appeared, voluntary movements decreased, colon motility index ( MI) significantly increased ( P ＜ 0. 05 ), the number of fecal particles discharged significantly increased ( P＜ 0. 05), and the glass pellet discharge time was significantly shortened ( P ＜ 0. 05). (2) WJW treatment for 7 days significantly improved a variety of symptoms. Compared with the normal control, the levels of CGRP, SS and VIP in the brain tissue of PI-IBS rats were significantly increased (P＜ 0. 05), and the NPY concentration was significantly decreased ( P ＜ 0. 05). However, the treatment with WJW significantly reduced CGRP, SS and VIP levels (P＜ 0. 05), and significantly increased the NPY concentration level (P ＜ 0. 05). (3) Compared with the normal control group, the levels of CCK, NPY, MTL, SS and VIP in colonic tissues of PI-IBS rats were significantly decreased (P＜ 0. 05), while WJW significantly increased the CCK and VIP levels. Conclusions WJW can be used to treat IBS by regulating the levels of various brain-gut peptides in the brain and colon tissues of IBS rats. These anomalous and adjustable brain-gut peptides may become a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of IBS.