Effects of Xianglian Huazhuo Decoction on Wnt1, GSK-3β and β-catenin in chronic atrophic gastritis rats / 国际中医中药杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the mechanism of Xianglian Huazhuo Decoction in treating chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) rats by detecting the protein and gene expressions of Wnt1, GSK-3β, β-catenin in Wnt signaling pathway.Methods:Totally 60 Wistar rats were randomly divided into blank group and model group. The CAG model was established by MNNG free drink combined with sodium salicylate gavage combined with abnormal hunger and satiety. After model establishment, the rats were randomly divided into model group, Xianglian Huazhuo Group and folic acid group. Folic acid group received the folic acid water solution 1.3 mg/kg for gavage; the Xianglian Huazhuo Group received Xianglian Huazhuo Decoction 15.5 g/kg for gavage; the blank group and the model group received the same volume of purified water for gavage. After 8 weeks of intervention, the general state and the atrophic degree of gastric mucosa were observed. The expressions of Wnt1, GSK-3β and β-catenin were detected by immunohistochemical method, and the mRNA expression of β-catenin expression was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction PCR.Results:The general condition of rats in Xianglian Huazhuo group was improved, the atrophy of gastric mucosa was improved, and the effect was better than that in folic acid group. Compared with the model group, the positive area ratio of Wnt1 decreased in Xianglian Huazhuo group ( P<0.05), and the positive area ratio of β-catenin decreased in folic acid group and Xianglian Huazhuo group ( P<0.05 or P<0.01), the positive area ratio of GSK-3β increased ( P<0.05), and the β-catenin mRNA level of Xianglian Huazhuo group decreased ( P<0.05). Conciusion 　Xianglian Huazhuo Decoction may increase GSK-3β by downregulating abnormal expression of Wnt1, promoting β-catenin to degrade normally, thereby blocking the abnormal activation of the Wnt signaling pathway, delaying or reversing CAG carcinogenesis to a certain extent, and exerting therapeutic effects.