RESUMO
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of Cistanches Herba polysaccharides (abbreviated as CDPS) on rats with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). METHODS SD rats were divided into control group (20 rats) and modeling group. The modeling group was given 2 mL of normal saline at 0-4 ℃ intragastrically (once a day, for 14 consecutive days) to induce IBS-C model. After modeling, model rats were grouped into model group, positive control group (mosapride citrate, 1.35 mg/kg), CDPS low-dose group (50 mg/kg) and CDPS high-dose group (100 mg/kg), with 20 rats in each group. Administration groups were given corresponding drug solution intragastrically, and control group and model group were given a constant volume of water intragastrically, once a day, for 28 consecutive days. The fecal water content, serum content of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and charcoal powder propulsion rate of rats were determined in each group;the pathological morphology of colon tissue was observed, and mRNA and protein expressions of nerve growth factor (NGF) and tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) in colon tissue were detected. RESULTS Compared with control group, the fecal water content and carbon powder propulsion rate in the model group were decreased significantly (P<0.05); the rupture of mucosal muscle layer in colon tissue, significant infiltration of inflammatory cells and cellular edema were observed; the content of 5-HT in serum, and relative mRNA and protein expressions of NGF and TrkA were increased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with model group, the fecal water content and carbon powder propulsion rate of rats were increased significantly in administration groups (P<0.05), and pathological changes of colon tissue were relieved significantly, while the content of 5-HT in serum, the mRNA and protein expressions of NGF and TrkA in colon tissue were decreased significantly (P<0.05); among them, the above indicators inthe positive control group and CDPS high-dose group were generally close to those in the control group (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS CDPS can alleviate the symptoms of IBS-C rats, which may be related to the inhibition of NGF/TrkA signaling pathway.