Project name: Mus musculus

Description: Colitis is the common pathological lesion of inflammatory bowel diseases, the major chronic inflammatory diseases of intestinal tracts in humans. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of ginger extract and its component zingerone in mice with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis. Mice were administered with TNBS and/or various amounts of ginger and zingerone by an intrarectal route. The severity of colitis was evaluated by colonic weight/length ratio, macroscopic lesion, and histological examination. The mechanisms of ginger and zingerone were further elucidated by DNA microarray, ex vivo imaging, and immunohistochemical staining. Our data showed that treatment with ginger extract and zingerone ameliorated TNBS-induced colonic inflammation and injury in a dose-dependent manner. Pathway analysis of ginger- and zingerone-regulated gene expression profiles showed that ginger and zingerone significantly regulated cytokine-related pathways. Network analysis showed that nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were key molecules involved in the expression of ginger- and zingerone-affected genes. Ex vivo imaging and immunohistochemical staining further verified that ginger and zingerone suppressed TNBS-induced NF-κB activation and decreased the NF-κB and IL-1β protein levels in the colon. In conclusion, our data showed that ginger improved the TNBS-induced colitis in mice via modulation of NF-κB activity and IL-1β signaling pathway. Moreover, zingerone might be the active component of ginger responsible for the amelioration of colitis induced by TNBS.Overall design: A total of 24 mice was randomly divided into four groups of six mice: mock, mice were given with 0.1 ml of 50% ethanol; TNBS, mice were given with 250 mg/kg TNBS in 0.1 ml of 50% ethanol; TNBS/ginger, mice were administered with mixtures containing 250 mg/kg TNBS and various amounts of ginger extract in 0.1 ml of 50% ethanol; TNBS/zingerone, mice were given with mixtures containing 250 mg/kg TNBS and various amounts of zingerone in 0.1 ml of 50% ethanol. Mice were sacrificed seven days later for histochemical staining, RNA extraction, and ex vivo imaging.

Data type: Transcriptome or Gene expression

Sample scope: Multiisolate

Relevance: ModelOrganism

Last updated: 2012-04-30