Abstract
Intestinal fibrosis is induced by excessive myofibroblast proliferation and collagen deposition, which has been regarded as a general pathological feature in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Therefore, identifying clinical markers and targets to treat and prevent intestinal fibrosis is urgently needed. The traditional Chinese medicine maggot, commonly known as "wu gu chong", has been shown to reduce oxidative stress and alleviate inflammation in chronic colitis. This study investigated the mechanisms underlying the effects of maggot extract (ME) on inflammation-associated intestinal fibrosis in TGF-β1-stimulated human intestinal fibroblasts (CCD-18Co cells) and dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-induced chronic colitis murine model. To assess the severity of inflammation and fibrosis, histological and macroscopic evaluation were carried out. The results showed that ME was a significant inhibitor of body weight loss and colon length shortening in mice with chronic colitis. In addition, ME suppressed the intestinal fibrosis by downregulating TGF-β1/SMADs pathway via upregulation of Nrf2 expression at both protein and mRNA levels. ME markedly increased the expression of Nrf2, thus resulting in a higher level of HO-1. After treatment with Nrf2 inhibitor (ML385) or siRNA-Nrf2 for deactivating Nrf2 pathway, the protective effects of ME were abolished both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the histopathological results for the major organs of DSS mice treated with ME showed no signs of clinically important abnormalities. Treatment with ME had no effect on the viability of CCD-18Co cells, suggesting its low in vitro cytotoxicity. Furthermore, ME could mediate intestine health by keeping the balance of the gut microbes through the enhancement of beneficial microbes and suppression of pathogenic microbes. In conclusion, this is the first ever report demonstrating that ME ameliorates inflammation-associated intestinal fibrosis by suppressing TGF-β1/SMAD pathway via upregulation of Nrf2 expression. Our findings highlight the potential of Nrf2 as an effective therapeutic target for alleviating intestinal fibrosis.