Matrine: A Promising Treatment for Ulcerative Colitis by Targeting the HMGB1/NLRP3/Caspase-1 Pathway

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have found that matrine (MAT) effectively treated Ulcerative Colitis (UC). The purpose of this study is to explore its mechanism based on the HMGB1/NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathway. METHODS: MAT was administered intragastrically to DSS-induced UC mice for 14 days. The Disease Activity Index (DAI) and histological staining were measured to detect histopathological changes in colon. The levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in serum were measured by ELISA. The protein and mRNA expression of HMGB1/NLRP3/Caspase-1 in the colon were detected by immunohistochemistry, western Blotting or qRT-PCR. RESULTS: MAT improved the histological pathological changes of UC mice, as assessed by DAI, colonic length, and colonic mucosal injury. MAT also reduced colonic inflammatory damage by reducing the serum IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α content and decreasing the expression of HMGB1, NLRP3, Caspase-1, and IL-1β and proteins and mRNA in the colon. CONCLUSION: MAT could significantly alleviate DSS-induced UC symptoms by reducing the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6, the mechanism of which is related to the inhibition of HMGB1/NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathway.