Baicalin protects against ethanol-induced chronic gastritis in rats by inhibiting Akt/NF-κB pathway

Aims: Currently, chronic gastritis is a high incidence of digestive diseases, along with loss of appetite, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Baicalin belongs to the major bioactive flavonoids compounds from Scutellariae Radix, it exhibited anti-inflammatory and anti-bacteria activities. Nonetheless, the protective effects of baicalin on ethanol-induced gastritis have not been completely clarified. Our study was designed to evaluate the protective activity of baicalin on ethanol-induced chronic gastritis. Main methods: Rat with chronic gastritis model was induced by the administration of 56% ethanol for four weeks. Baicalin (50 and 100 mg/kg) were orally administered for seven days to evaluate its curative effect, respectively. The production of TNF-alpha, interleukin (IL)-8, IL-1 beta, NO, ET-1, PGE2, LDH and COX-2 were determined by ELISA. The activities of Akt, p-Akt, I kappa B alpha, p-I kappa B alpha, NF-kappa Bp65 and NF-kappa Bp-p65 were tested by western blot. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to assess the location of NF-kappa Bp65. Key findings: The changes of the histopathological analysis and the levels of NO, ET-1, PGE2, LDH and COX-2 demonstrated that baicalin treatment ameliorated ethanol-induced gastritis. ELISA analysis showed that baicalin inhibited the levels of TNF-alpha, IL-8 and IL-1 beta. Besides, Akt, p-Akt, I kappa B alpha, p-I kappa B alpha, NF-kappa Bp65 and NF-kappa Bp-p65 expression were significantly suppressed by baicalin. Meanwhile, baicalin suppressed the translocation of NF-kappa Bp65 to the cell nucleus through immunofluorescence staining, molecular docking analysis showed that baicalin had affinity with Akt and NF-kappa Bp65. Significance: All results demonstrated that baicalin effectively alleviated chronic gastritis via suppressing the levels of inflammatory regulators and inhibiting Akt/NF-kappa B activation.