Protective Effect of Kushenlu on Lipopolysaccharide-induced Small Intestinal Inflammation in Rats

摘要

Background and Objective: Kushenlu (KSL) is a new type of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which is made based on the theory of TCM. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of KSL on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced small intestinal inflammation in rats. Materials and Methods: Rats received spray inhalation with KSL daily for five days prior to the LPS challenge. Additionally, rat small Intestinal Epithelial Cells (IEC-6) and Rat small Intestinal Microvascular Endothelial Cells (RIMVEC) were pretreated with various concentrations of KSL for 24 h, then treated with lipopolysaccharide for 4 h. All statistical comparisons were made by one-way ANOVA followed by least significant difference test. Results: Kushenlu (KSL) pretreatment effectively prevented weight loss and attenuated LPS-induced diarrhea, reduction of red blood cells and white blood cells and the generation of proinflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10 and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-α in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that KSL reduced Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) expression and NF-κB activation in small intestinal tissues, IEC-6 cells and RIMVEC cells. Conclusion: All of the results indicated that KSL may be a potential anti-inflammatory drug for the clinical therapy of LPS-induced small intestinal inflammation.