Gallotannin-Enriched Extract Isolated from Galla Rhois May Be a Functional Candidate with Laxative Effects for Treatment of Loperamide-Induced Constipation of SD Rats.

Abstract

Several natural products containing tannins are used as traditional medicines for treatment of constipation; however, their pharmacological mechanism is not well understood. The laxative effects of gallotannin-enriched extract isolated from Galla Rhois (GEGR) were investigated using a constipation model induced by loperamide (Lop) injection. After analysis for antioxidant activity of GEGR, alterations in the excretion parameters, histological structure, mucin secretion, and related protein levels were measured in the transverse colon of Sprague Dawley (SD) rats with Lop-induced constipation following treatment with 250, 500 and 1,000 mg/ml of GEGR. The number and weight of feces increased significantly by 48-79% and 128-159%, respectively, in the Lop+GEGR treated group relative to the Lop+vehicle treated group, while food intake and water consumption were maintained at a constant level. The thickness of mucosa, muscle and flat luminal surface, as well as the number of goblet cells and crypt of lieberkuhn were enhanced in the Lop+GEGR treated group. Moreover, mucin secretion increased significantly in a dose dependent manner in the Lop+GEGR treated group. Furthermore, the downstream signaling pathway of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR) M2 and M3 was recovered by GEGR treatment, although the expression level varied. The levels of Gα expression and inositol triphosphate (IP3) concentration were also recovered in the Lop+GEGR treated group relative to the Lop+vehicle treated group. The results of the present study provide strong evidence that tannins distributed in various medicinal plants are important candidates for improving chronic constipation induced by Lop treatment in animal models.

• Authors: Ji Eun Kim, Jun Go, Eun Kyoung Koh, Sung Hwa Song, Ji Eun Sung, Hyun Ah Lee, Young Hee Lee, Jin Tae Hong, Dae Youn Hwang
• Journal: PloS one (PLoS One) Vol. 11 Issue 9 Pg. e0161144 ( 2016) ISSN: 1932-6203 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 27618438 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antidiarrheals
• Biological Products
• Galla Rhois
• Hydrolyzable Tannins
• Laxatives
• Mucins
• Plant Extracts
• Receptors, Muscarinic
• Loperamide
• GTP-Binding Proteins

Topics

• Animals
• Antidiarrheals (adverse effects)
• Biological Products (chemistry)
• Colon (drug effects)
• Constipation (chemically induced, drug therapy)
• Feces
• Feeding Behavior (drug effects)
• GTP-Binding Proteins (metabolism)
• Hydrolyzable Tannins (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Laxatives (therapeutic use)
• Loperamide (adverse effects)
• Mucins (metabolism)
• Plant Extracts (isolation & purification, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Receptors, Muscarinic (drug effects, metabolism)
• Signal Transduction