Curcumin regulates the homeostasis of Th17/Treg and improves the composition of gut microbiota in type 2 diabetic mice with colitis

• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7404
• Publication Date: 2022-03-02T11:00:51Z
• Authors: Qiu‐Ping Xiao; You‐Bao Zhong; Zeng‐Ping Kang; Jia‐Qi Huang; Wei‐Yan Fang; Si‐Yi Wei; Jian Long; Shan‐Shan Li; Hai‐Mei Zhao; Duan‐Yong Liu
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Curcumin; Colon; Dextran Sulfate; Colitis; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; 3. Good health; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Disease Models, Animal; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Animals; Homeostasis; Humans; Colitis, Ulcerative; Research Articles

AbstractDiabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common complications in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Curcumin has a wide range of bioactive and pharmacological properties and is commonly used as an adjunct to the treatment of UC and DM. However, the role of curcumin in UC complicated by DM has not been elucidated. Therefore, this study was conducted to construct a model of UC complicating diabetes by inducing UC in DB mice (spontaneously diabetic) with dextran sodium sulfate. In this study, curcumin (100 mg/kg/day) significantly improved the symptoms of diabetes complicated by UC, with a lower insulin level, heavier weight, longer and lighter colons, fewer mucosal ulcers and less inflammatory cell infiltration. Moreover, compared to untreated DB mice with colitis, curcumin‐treated mice showed weaker Th17 responses and stronger Treg responses. In addition, curcumin regulated the diversity and relative abundance of intestinal microbiota in mice with UC complicated by DM at the phylum, class, order, family and genus levels. Collectively, curcumin effectively alleviated colitis in mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus by restoring the homeostasis of Th17/Treg and improving the composition of the intestinal microbiota