Protective effect of baicalin on the regulation of Treg/Th17 balance, gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids in rats with ulcerative colitis.

Baicalin is reported as an effective drug for ulcerative colitis (UC). However, its effect on gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of baicalin on Th17/Treg balance, gut microbiota community, and SCFAs levels in trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS)-induced UC rat model. We found the DAI scores were significantly increased in the TNBS-treated rats, while reduced in the baicalin-treated group in a dose-dependent manner, accompanied with the alleviation of mucosal injury, the reduction of ZO-1, Occludin, and MUC2 expression. At the meanwhile, baicalin repressed the increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and MDA, while deceased the GSH and SOD levels in colon tissue of rats treated with TNBS. On the other hand, administration of baicalin attenuated the TNBS-induced upregulations of Th17/Treg ratio, indicating a strong amelioration in the colorectal inflammation. More importantly, pyrosequencing of the V4 regions of 16S rRNA genes in rat feces revealed a deviation of the gut microbiota in response to baicalin treatment. In particular, the decreased Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratios and endotoxin-bearing Proteobacteria levels indicated that baicalin reversed TNBS-induced gut dysbiosis OTUs. In addition, we further investigated the fecal levels of major SCFAs in rats and found that baicalin significantly resorted the fecal butyrate levels in rats treated with TNBS. The increased butyrate levels were in consistent with the higher abundance of butyrate-producing species such as Butyricimonas spp., Roseburia spp., Subdoligranulum spp., and Eubacteriu spp. in baicalin-treated group. In conclusion, our findings suggest that baicalin possibly protected rats against ulcerative colitis by regulation of Th17/Treg balance, and modulation of both gut microbiota and SCFAs. Baicalin may be used as a prebiotic agent to treat ulcerative colitis-associated inflammation and gut dysbiosis.

[Effects and efficacy observation of acupuncture on serum 5-HT in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture for treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome and discuss its action mechanism. METHODS: Fifty-seven cases were randomly divided into two groups. The acupuncture group (29 cases) was treated with acupuncture at Taichong (LR 3), Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) etc., once a day and 5 times per week. The medication group (28 cases) was treated with oral administration of pinaverium (50 mg each time, 3 times a day) and live combined bifidobacterium and lactobacillus tablet (4 tablets each time, 3 times a day). Four weeks were taken as a treatment course in both groups. Before and after treatment ELISA method was applied to measure the level of serum 5-HT of the patients in two groups. The scores of clinical symptoms were observed before treatment, after one and four weeks of treatment and 3 months after treatment, respectively. RESULTS: The level of serum 5-HT was significantly reduced in the acupuncture group and medication group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), which had no statistical difference between two groups (P > 0.05). Compared with the medication group, the scores of clinical symptoms were obviously improved in the acupuncture group after one and four weeks of treatment and 3 months after treatment (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The total effective rate was 89.66% (26/29) in the acupuncture group, which was superior to 67.85% (19/28) in the medication group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The efficacy of acupuncture is superior to that of medicine in the treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. The acupuncture treatment could reduce the visceral sensitivity, improve the intestinal motility and regulate the imbalance of brain-intestine interactive function.

Clinical evaluation of Soothing Gan and invigorating Pi acupuncture treatment on diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of Soothing Gan and invigorating Pi (SGIP) acupuncture treatment on the clinical symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D). METHODS: With a single-blinded randomized control study adopted, 63 patients who met the inclusion criteria were assigned by a random number table to two groups, 31 in the treatment group and 32 in the drug control group. The treatment group received SGIP acupuncture therapy; while the control group was treated orally with pinaverium bromide. The treatment duration of both groups was 28 days. The clinical efficacy was evaluated and compared by scoring patient's symptom and QOL. RESULTS: A significant difference was found by variance analysis in efficacies between the two groups (P<0.01), shown as the quicker initiation of effect (P<0.05) and the more evident clinical improvement in symptoms along the increase in treatment duration, as well as the more significant elevation of QOL in the acupuncture treatment group (P<0.01). SGIP displayed its superiority especially in improving dysphoria, conflict behavior, dietary restrictions, and social responses. CONCLUSION: SGIP acupuncture treatment could effectively alleviate the degree and frequency of symptoms' attack in IBS-D patients, such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, abdominal distension, etc., markedly relieve the tenesmic sensation, with the efficacy better than that of pinaverium bromide, showing a preponderance in improving patient's QOL.