Patchouli oil ameliorates 5-fluorouracil-induced intestinal mucositis in rats via protecting intestinal barrier and regulating water transport

Pogostemon cablin, commonly named “Guang-Huo-Xiang” in China, has long been renowned for its ability to dispel dampness and regulate gastrointestinal functions. Patchouli oil (P.oil), the major active fraction of Pogostemon cablin, has been traditionally used as the principal component of Chinese medicinal formulae to treat exterior syndrome and diarrhea. However, the effects of P.oil in treating 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced intestinal mucositis have not yet been reported. To investigate the protective effects of P.oil against 5-FU-induced intestinal mucositis and the mechanisms underlying these effects. Sprague-Dawley rats were intraperitoneally injected with 5-FU (30 mg/kg) to establish an intestinal mucositis model. Meanwhile, rats with intestinal mucositis were orally administered with P.oil (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg). Histological analysis, ELISA (for detecting inflammatory cytokines and aquaporins), immunohistochemistry analysis (for examining caspases), qRT-PCR analysis (for assessment tight junctions), and western blotting analysis (for the assessment of TLR2/TLR4-MyD88 and VIP-cAMP-PKA signaling pathway-related proteins) were performed to estimate the protective effects of P.oil against intestinal mucositis and the mechanisms underlying these effects. The histopathological assessment preliminarily exhibited that P.oil alleviated the 5-FU-induced damage to the intestinal structure. After P.oil administration, the elevation of the expression of cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-13) decreased markedly and the activation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling was significantly inhibited. P.oil also increased the mRNA expression of ZO-1 and Occludin, thereby stabilizing intestinal barrier. In addition, P.oil decreased the expressions of caspase-8, caspase-3, and Bax, and increased the expression of Bcl-2, thereby reducing the apoptosis of the intestinal mucosa. These results were closely related to the regulation of the TLR2/TLR4-MyD88 signaling pathway. It has been indicated that P.oil possibly protected the intestinal barrier by reducing inflammation and apoptosis. Furthermore, this study showed that P.oil inhibited the abnormal expression of AQP3, AQP7, and AQP11 by regulating the VIP-cAMP-PKA signaling pathway. Furthermore, it restored the intestinal water absorption, thereby alleviating diarrhea. P.oil ameliorated 5-FU-induced intestinal mucositis in rats via protecting intestinal barrier and regulating water transport.