RESUMO
BACKGROUND: RC-3095, a synthetic gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) antagonist, has been identified as a candidate compound for the treatment of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-dependent chronic inflammatory conditions. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of RC-3095 in a rat model of ulcerative colitis. METHODS: Ninety Wistar rats were included in the study. Colitis was induced by a single intracolonic application of acetic acid. Rats were divided into three groups of treatment: subcutaneous RC-3095, intracolonic mesalazine, and subcutaneous dexamethasone. Additionally, there was a fourth group of animals submitted to induction of colitis without receiving any form of treatment, and a fifth group in which no colitis was induced. Seventy-two hours after instillation of acetic acid, the animals were killed and the following parameters were assessed: morphological score of damage, histological score of colonic inflammation, and immunohistochemical expression of TNF-alpha and interleukin (IL)-1beta. RESULTS: RC-3095 was the only treatment to significantly reduce macroscopic and microscopic scores of inflammation as compared with the animals from the non-treated colitis group. RC-3095 also significantly reduced the colonic expression of TNF-alpha, but not the expression of IL-1beta. CONCLUSIONS: RC-3095 reduced the colitis severity in a well-established experimental model of IBD. The anti-inflammatory activity of this compound was associated with a reduction in the colonic expression of TNF-alpha. These results suggest that interference with GRP pathway might represent a potential new strategy for the treatment of ulcerative colitis that deserves further investigational studies.
