| Background:Ulcerative colitis is chronic nonspecific intestinal inflammation of unclear etiology. Recent advances have identified the platelets dysfunction and cycLo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) overexpression in UC patients besides the inter-actions between genetic, immunological, infectious and environmental factors. The incidence of UC in China increased in recent years. Though the traditional therapies of steroid and SASP have some therapeutic effects in the early stage of the disease, drug resistance or severe complications occur in five or ten years. It is a hotpoint now to seek a high-efficient and low-poisonous therapy. Berberine chloride has the pharmacological effects of anti-inflammation, anti-diarrhea and anti-aggregation of platelets. Recent studies found it has therapeutic effects on TNBS-induced colitis in rats as well as inhibitory effects on the COX-2 expression in inflammations or tumours. It will provide a new field for the therapy of UC to use berberine chloride in UC patients. Objective:To observe the therapeutic effects of berberine chloride on dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice, and furthermore to study the probable mechanisms, so as to provide experimental evidences for the application of berberine chloride to therapy of UC .Methods:After drinking 8% DSS freely for 8 days, DSS colitis was induced in 48 male BALB/C mice, which were then randomized into three groups to receive a daily oral administration of berberine chloride (T4o group: 40mg/kg/day,n=16; Tgo group: 80mg/kg/day, n=16) or an equal volume of distilled water (MC group: n=16) for 3 days or 1 week. An additional 16 mice, which were used as normal control (NC group) ,drunk water freely instead of DSS, and received a daily oral administration of distilled water for 3 days orl week. Observations on mice weights, diarrhea and OB of stool were made every day. Eight mice from each group were killed 3 days and 1 week after different treatments. Histological scores were evaluated by HE staining ; The COX-2 mRNA and protein of the tissue were measured by RT-PCR, semi-quantitive PCR and imrnunohistochemical methods; The levels of plasma TXBz and P-selectin were measured by RIA and IRA.Results:Treatments with berberine chloride could significantly promote the weights, improve the diarrhea, reduce the positive rate of OB and enhance the histological scores of mice in a time- and dose- dependent manner (P<0.05). Three days after treatments, there were significant differences of the plasma levels of TXB2 between the four groups (MC group: 83.72?.72pg/ral ;NC group: 18.33?.07pg/ml;T4o group: 61.83?.52pg/ml;Tgo group: 39.18 + 3.17pg/ml) (PO.01); So did the levels of plasma P- selectin (MC group: 53.37 ?.63 ng/ml; NC group: 10.44?.60 ng/ml; T40 group: 40.38?.09ng/ml; T80 group: 26.89+1.95ng/ml) (PO.01). The expression of tissue COX-2 mRNA in NC group was negative, while was positive at different degrees in other groups. Significant differences of the levels of COX-2 mRNA were found between the four groups using semi-quantitive PCR (PO.01); Immunohisto-chemistry localised COX-2 protein to surface epithelium, crypt epithelium, inflammatory cells in lamina propria, vascular endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells. The staining scores of COX-2 protein in the four groups were different significantly (PO.01).Seven days after treatments, the levels of plasma TXB2 are 82.73 ?2.64 pg/ml, 19.63 + 2.62 pg/ml, 48.97?.38 pg/ml and 30.402.36 pg/ml; The levels of plasma P-selectin are 51.99 + 4.37 ng/ml, 10.56 + 2.54 ng/ml, 34.16 ?1.94 ng/ml and 19.41 2.45ng/ml, there were significant differences of the two indexes between the four groups (.PO.01); The expression of tissue COX-2 mRNA in NC group was negative, while was positive at different degrees in other groups. There were significant differences of the levels of COX-2 mRNA between the four groups (P<0.01), so did the staining scores of COX-2 protein (PO.01). Significant differences of the levels of all indexes were found between different therapeutic times (P<0.05).C...
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