Bazedoxifene attenuates dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis in mice through gut microbiota modulation and inhibition of STAT3 and NF-κB pathways

• Published in: European journal of pharmacology 2024-07, Vol.974, p.176611-176611, Article 176611
• Main Authors: Liang, Liumei, Zhang, Jingdan, Chen, Junxiong, Tian, Yu, Li, Weiqian, Shi, Mengchen, Cheng, Sijing, Zheng, Yinhai, Wang, Chen, Liu, Huanliang, Yang, Xiangling, Ye, Weibiao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Bazedoxifene; Colitis; Colitis - chemically induced; Colitis - drug therapy; Colitis - metabolism; Colitis - microbiology; Colitis - pathology; Colon - drug effects; Colon - metabolism; Colon - microbiology; Colon - pathology; Dextran Sulfate; Disease Models, Animal; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - drug effects; Gut microbiota; Humans; Indoles - pharmacology; Indoles - therapeutic use; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; NF-kappa B - metabolism; NF-κB; Signal Transduction - drug effects; STAT3; STAT3 Transcription Factor - metabolism
• ISSN: 0014-2999; 1879-0712
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176611

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic and relapsing inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract for which treatment options remain limited. In this study, we used a dual-luciferase-based screening of an FDA-approved drug library, identifying Bazedoxifene (BZA) as an inhibitor of the NF-κB pathway. We further investigated its therapeutic effects in a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis model and explored its impact on gut microbiota regulation and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Our results showed that BZA significantly reduced DSS-induced colitis symptoms in mice, evidenced by decreased colon length shortening, lower histological scores, and increased expression of intestinal mucosal barrier-associated proteins, such as Claudin 1, Occludin, Zo-1, Mucin 2 (Muc2), and E-cadherin. Used independently, BZA showed therapeutic effects comparable to those of infliximab (IFX). In addition, BZA modulated the abundance of gut microbiota especially Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, and influenced microbial metabolite production. Crucially, BZA's alleviation of DSS-induced colitis in mice was linked to change in gut microbiota composition, as evidenced by in vivo gut microbiota depletion and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) mice model. Molecularly, BZA inhibited STAT3 and NF-κB activation in DSS-induced colitis in mice. In general, BZA significantly reduced DSS-induced colitis in mice through modulating the gut microbiota and inhibiting STAT3 and NF-κB activation, and its independent use demonstrated a therapeutic potential comparable to IFX. This study highlights gut microbiota's role in IBD drug development, offering insights for BZA's future development and its clinical applications. Diagram of the mechanism of action of BZA on DSS-induced colitis in mice. Drawn by using BioRender (https://app.biorender.com/). [Display omitted]