Effect of Tripterygium wilfordii Polycoride on the NOXs-ROS-NLRP3 Inflammasome Signaling Pathway in Mice with Ulcerative Colitis

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of Tripterygium wilfordii polycoride (TWP) on the NADPH oxidases (NOXs)-reactive oxygen species (ROS)-NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome signaling pathway and the possibility of using TWP to treat ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: BALB/c mice were randomly divided into five groups: model control, low TWP, middle TWP, high TWP, and normal control groups. A UC model was established with dextran sulfate sodium. The determination of ROS was carried out by using the fluorescent probe DCFH-DA, and NOXs activity was detected based on the NADPH consumption rate. The mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1 in the colon tissues and neutrophils were assessed via real-time PCR. RESULTS: The colon tissues were abnormal with different degrees in TWP groups with disease activity index and histopathological scores lower than those in the model group. In TWP groups, ROS generation, NOXs activity, and the mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1 in the colon tissues and colon-isolated neutrophils were remarkably lower than those in the model control group (P < 0.05) and higher than those in the normal group (P < 0.05). The results of pairwise comparison for the efficacy of TWP administration showed that the above indexes were statistically significant with the lowest expression in the high TWP group (P < 0.05) and the highest expression in the low TWP group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: TWP demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects on UC by decreasing the expression of proinflammatory factors in the NOXs-ROS-NLRP3 signaling pathway.