A Novel Pre-treatment Approach to Ulcerative Colitis in a Mouse Model

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a complex multifactorial condition that includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC). UC is characterized by inflammation, oxidative stress, and increased intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis. The present study investigated the protective potential of five safety products, namely bromelain (Br), silibinin (SB), alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), inulin (IN), and sodium butyrate (BU), against UC. Methods: Seventy-two male Balb/c mice were divided into nine groups and administered for 14 days with a minimum effective dose of Br, SB, ALA, IN, BU, or all five together (PAC). Mesalazine (MZ) was used to compare the therapeutic effects of the compounds. Colitis was induced by rectal injection of acetic acid (4%) on the 12th day. Blood and colon tissue were collected, and the expression of inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress indices were examined via ELISA. SPSS v.24 was used for data analysis. Results: All the individual therapeutic groups, including Br, IN, BU, ALA, and SB, partially improved histopathological changes due to colitis, but PAC treatment prior to colitis induction significantly (P 0.001) and more effectively improved colitis and alleviated the extent and intensity of the histological signs of cell damage including inflammation intensity and macroscopic and microscopic colon damage. A significant decrease in inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress indices was also observed in the groups treated with ALA, SB, and PAC. Conclusion: This animal study suggests that the new drug combination (PAC) is more beneficial for the prevention of UC than MZ, a usual treatment of UC.