Zinc L-carnosine protects colonic mucosal injury through induction of heat shock protein 72 and suppression of NF-κB activation

In this study, we investigated the effects of zinc L-camosine, an anti-ulcer drug, on acetic acid-induced colonic mucosal injury and the correlation of these effects with expression of 72-kDa heat shock proteins (HSP72) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) activation in rat colonic mucosa in vivo. After intrarectal administration of zinc L-camosine, the rats received intrarectal infusion of 5% acetic acid (1 ml). The colonic mucosal damage was evaluated by macroscopic assessments 24 h after the intrarectal infusion of acetic acid. Expression of HSP72 in rat colonic mucosa was evaluated by Western blot analysis before and after zinc L-carnosine administration. NF-kappa B activation was evaluated by electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA). Zinc L-camosine inhibited visible damage in rat colonic mucosa by acetic acid. Expression of HSP72 was significantly increased at 6 h after zinc L-camosine administration. Furthermore, NF-kappa B activation in colonic mucosa was suppressed 6 h after zinc L-camosine treatment. These results suggested that Zinc L-camosine protects the colonic mucosa against acetic acid by induction of HSP72 and suppression of NF-kappa B activation and zinc L-camosine may be a novel therapeutic agent for the therapy of inflammatory bowel disease. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.