Effects of baicalin in CD4+CD29+T cell subsets of ulcerative colitis patients

AIM: To evaluate the role of baicalin in ulcerative colitis (UC) with regard to the CD4(+)CD29(+) T helper cell, its surface markers and serum inflammatory cytokines. METHODS: Flow cytometry was used to detect the percentage of CD4(+)CD29(+) cells in patients with UC. Real time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect expression of GATA-3, forkhead box P3, T-box expressed in T cells (T-bet), and retinoic acid-related orphan nuclear hormone receptor C (RORC). Western blotting was used to analyze expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) p65, phosphorylation of NF-kappa B (p-NF-kappa B) p65, STAT4, p-STAT4, STAT6 and p-STAT6. The concentrations of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10 and TGF-beta in serum were determined by ELISA assay. RESULTS: The percentages of CD4(+)CD29(+) T cells were lower in treatment with 40 and 20 mu mol/L baicalin than in the treatment of no baicalin. Treatment with 40 or 20 mu mol/L baicalin significantly upregulated expression of IL-4, TGF-beta 1 and IL-10, increased p-STAT6/STAT6 ratio, but downregulated expression of IFN-gamma, IL-5, IL-6, RORC, Foxp3 and T-bet, and decreased ratios of T-bet/GATA-3, p-STAT4/STAT4 and p-NF-kappa B/NF-kappa B compared to the treatment of no baicalin. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that baicalin regulates immune balance and relieves the ulcerative colitis-induced inflammation reaction by promoting proliferation of CD4(+)CD29(+) cells and modulating immunosuppressive pathways. (C) 2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.