Baitouweng decoction alleviates dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis by regulating intestinal microbiota and the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway

Baitouweng (BTW) decoction, a Chinese traditional medicine prescription, has been used to treat ulcerative colitis (UC) over hundreds of years. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of BTW and intestinal flora of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC mice, and we investigated the mechanism of BTW in the preliminary treatment of UC. The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanism of BTW in treating UC through molecular biology and high-throughput sequencing. DSS-induced UC mice were established and randomly divided into the following four groups: control group, DSS group, BTW group and sulfasalazine (SASP) group. Except for the control group, 3% DSS drinking water was given to each group for 7 days, and the other two groups were intragastrically administered with BTW and SASP. Mice were sacrificed after gavage for 10 days. Body weight loss, disease activity index (DAI), colon length, colon histopathology and the expression of inflammatory cytokines were measured. Intestinal content samples were collected, and intestinal flora differences were analyzed by 16 S rDNA sequencing. BTW effectively reduced the symptoms and histopathological score of UC mice, and it reduced the production of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α. Activation of the IL-6/STAT3 pathway was also suppressed by BTW treatment. Moreover, 16 S rDNA sequencing showed that the intestinal flora of mice in the DSS group was disordered compared to the control group. After treatment with BTW, the diversity of intestinal flora was significantly improved. At the phylum level, the proportion of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes was decreased, and the ratio of Proteobacteria was decreased. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Escherichia-Shigella was decreased, but that of Lactobacillus and Akkermansia were increased. BTW significantly improved the inflammatory symptoms of mice with acute colitis, and the latent mechanism of BTW may be related to various signaling pathways, including the modulation of intestinal microflora and inflammatory signaling pathways, such as IL-6/STAT3.