Background
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a recurrent bowel disease. Several medications are used to
treat patients with active UC. However, these are associated with side effects that
add to the disease-related complications.
Aim
The aim of the study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of pentoxifylline,
nanocurcumin, and mesenchymal stem cells on experimentally induced UC in rats.
Materials and methods
Sixty-five adult male rats were divided into six groups: group I was the control
group; group II (UC) consisted of rats that received a single intrarectal injection of
2 ml of 4% acetic acid; group ΙIΙ consisted of rats that received a daily oral dose of
pentoxifylline starting 3 days after induction of colitis, for 2 weeks; group ΙV consisted
of rats that received a daily oral dose of nanocurcumin starting 3 days after induction
of colitis, for 2 weeks; group V comprised rats that received a single injection of bone
marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells through the tail vein 3 days after induction
of colitis; and group VI consisted of rats that received a single intrarectal injection
of 2 ml of 4% acetic acid and were left without treatment for 2 weeks. Colonic
samples were processed and examined using histological and immunohistochemical
techniques.
Results
Group ΙIΙ showed improvement in the histopathological picture of colitis. Group
IV showed a near-normal histological picture, except for a few areas of surface
simple columnar cells that showed discontinuity and a few distorted crypts. Group
V showed a histological picture that was nearly similar to that of the control group.
Group VI showed a picture that was nearly similar to that of the UC group. There
was a significant increase in alcian blue-positive reaction and a significant decrease
in the amount of collagen fiber deposition and in tumor necrosis factor α expression
(P