Anticolitic Effect of Viscum coloratum through Suppression of Mast Cell Activation.

Viscum coloratum has been used as a component for traditional medicine for therapy of inflammatory diseases. Nonetheless, effect of Viscum coloratum on inflammatory bowel disease is unknown. Therefore, we investigated whether the ethanol extract of Viscum coloratum (VCE) could suppress inflammatory responses in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-treated mice and mast cell-derived inflammatory mediator (MDIM)-activated Caco-2 cells. VCE significantly attenuated body weight loss, shortened colon length, enteric epithelium disruption, enterorrhagia and colonic edema in DSS-treated mice. Additionally, VCE decreased the levels of immunoglobulin E, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor- α in serum and the activity of myeloperoxidase in colonic tissue. Moreover, VCE inhibited the infiltration of immune cells as well as the activity and expression of both matrix metalloprotease-2 and matrix metalloprotease-9. Furthermore, VCE restored zonula occludens-1 expression. Consistent with in vivo studies, VCE suppressed the activity and expression of matrix metalloprotease-2 and matrix metalloprotease-9 in MDIM-activated Caco-2 cells. In addition, VCE reinstated the expression of zonula occludens-1 through inhibiting activation of janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 in the cells. In conclusion, VCE exerts anticolitic action through inhibiting the activation of mast cells. Therefore, VCE may be useful as a phytomedicine or functional food for inflammatory bowel disease.