Pingwei San ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium-induced chronic colitis in mice

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Ping weisan (PWS), a famous traditional Chinese medicinal, is published in the Prescriptions of Taiping Benevolent Dispensary. PWS has been proven to be effective for many diseases, especially chronic diseases. Aim of the study: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect and potential mechanism of PWS on chronic colitis in mice. Materials and methods: Chronic colitis was induced in mice using 2.5% DSS for two cycles of 5 days, and different doses of PWS (2, 4, 8 g/kg) were administered throughout the experiment. The disease activity index (DAI), length of colon and pathological changes were measured. Cytokine levels in vivo and in vitro were detected by ELISA. The protein levels of TLR4, PPAR gamma and the key proteins in NF-kappa B pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome were measured by western blot. Results: PWS decreased DSS-induced DAI, colon length shortening and colonic pathological damage. PWS also reduced TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta and IL-12 production. In addition, PWS suppressed NF-kappa B pathway activation by regulating the expression of TLR4 and PPAR gamma. Our data also indicated that PWS could inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Conclusions: PWS treatment alleviated the degree of colitis caused by DSS, suggesting that PWS might be a novel agent for the treatment of chronic colitis.