Curcumin alleviated dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis by recovering memory Th/Tfh subset balance

Figure 1 Curcumin effectively improved the symptoms of dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis mice. A: Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis model replication and Cur administration; B: Body weight changes of mice from days 0 to 18; C: Disease activity indexes of mice in each group from days 0 to 18; D: Specific colonic lengths of mice in each group; E: Pathological sections of the colon of each group of mice (HE staining, 50 × magnification; scale bar = 100 μm); F: The colonic length of mice in each group on day 18; G: Colon weights of mice in each group on day 18; H: The colonic length/colonic weight of mice in each group on day 18; I: The colonic weight index of mice in each group on day 18; J: Pathological injury scores of mice in each group. Data are expressed as the mean ± SD (n = 8). The differences were statistically significant when compared with the Ctrl group (^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01). Differences were statistically significant with the DSS group (^cP < 0.05, ^dP < 0.01). Cur: Curcumin; DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium.

Figure 2 Memory T helper 1/memory follicular T helper 1 cell subpopulation levels in ulcerative colitis mice. A: Typical flow cytometry patterns of CD4⁺ cells; B: Typical flow cytometry patterns were observed in the spleen; C: Typical flow cytometry patterns and histograms of CD4⁺ CCR7^- cells; D and E: Typical flow cytometry patterns and histograms of CD4⁺ CXCR3⁺ (Th1) cells; F and G: CD4⁺ CXCR5⁺ CXCR3⁺ (Tfh1) cells; H and I: CD4⁺ CCR7^-CXCR3⁺ (mTh1) cells; J and K: CD4⁺ CCR7^- CXCR5⁺ CXCR3⁺ (mTfh1) cells. Data are expressed as the mean ± SD (n = 8). The differences were statistically significant when compared with the Ctrl group (^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01). Differences were statistically significant with the dextran sulfate sodium group (^cP < 0.05, ^dP < 0.01). Cur: Curcumin; DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium.

Figure 3 Memory T helper 7/memory follicular T helper 7 cell subpopulation levels in ulcerative colitis mice. A: Typical flow cytometry patterns of the spleen CD4⁺ cells in the spleen; B: Typical flow cytometry patterns were observed in the spleen; C: Typical flow cytometry patterns and histograms in the spleen of CD4⁺ CCR7^- cells; D and E: CD4⁺ IL-7R⁺ (Th7) cells; F and G: CD4⁺ CXCR5⁺ IL-7R⁺ (Tfh7) cells; H and I: CD4⁺ CCR7^-IL-7R⁺ (mTh7) cells; J and K: CD4⁺ CCR7^-CXCR5⁺ IL-7R⁺ (mTfh7) cells. Data are expressed as the mean ± SD (n = 8). The differences were statistically significant when compared with the Ctrl group (^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01). Differences were statistically significant with the dextran sulfate sodium group (^cP < 0.05, ^dP < 0.01). DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium. Cur: Curcumin; DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium.

Figure 4 Memory T helper 10/memory follicular T helper 10 cell subpopulation levels in ulcerative colitis mice. A: Typical flow cytometry patterns of the spleen CD4⁺ cells; B: Typical flow cytometry patterns were observed in the spleen; C: Typical flow cytometry patterns and histograms in the spleen of CD4⁺ CCR7^- cells; D and E: CD4⁺ IL-10⁺ (Th10) cells; F and G: CD4⁺ CXCR5⁺ IL-10⁺ (Tfh10) cells; H and I: CD4⁺ CCR7^-IL-10⁺ (mTh10) cells; J and K: CD4⁺ CCR7^-CXCR5⁺ IL-10⁺ (mTfh10) cells. Data are expressed as the mean ± SD (n = 8). The differences were statistically significant when compared with the Ctrl group (^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01). Differences were statistically significant with the dextran sulfate sodium group (^cP < 0.05, ^dP < 0.01). Cur: Curcumin; DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium.

Figure 5 Memory T helper 17/memory follicular T helper 17 cell subpopulation levels in ulcerative colitis mice. A: Typical flow cytometry patterns of the spleen CD4⁺ cells; B: Typical flow cytometry patterns were observed in the spleen; C: Typical flow cytometry patterns and histograms in the spleen of CD4⁺ CCR7^- cells; D and E: CD4⁺ IL-17A⁺ (Th17) cells; F and G: CD4⁺ CXCR5⁺ IL-17A⁺ (Tfh17) cells; H and I: CD4⁺ CCR7^-IL-17A⁺ (mTh17) cells; J and K: CD4⁺ CCR7^-CXCR5⁺ IL-17A⁺ (mTfh17) cells. Data are expressed as the mean ± SD (n = 8). The differences were statistically significant when compared with the Ctrl group (^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01). Differences were statistically significant with the dextran sulfate sodium group (^cP < 0.05, ^dP < 0.01). Cur: Curcumin; DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium.

Figure 6 Curcumin inhibits JAK1/STAT3/SOCS signaling pathway-related proteins in ulcerative colitis mice. A: Western blotting of the major proteins in the JAK1/STAT3/SOCS signaling pathway, such as JAK1, p-JAK1, STAT3, p-STAT3, NF-κB p65, SOCS-1, and SOCS-3. Tubulin served as the reference protein in this study; B-J: Quantitative evaluations of JAK1 (B), p-JAK1 (C), JAK1/p-JAK1 (D), STAT3 (E), p-STAT3 (F), STAT3/p-STAT3 (G), SOCS-1 (H), SOCS-3 (I), and NF-κB p65 (J). Data of each group are expressed as the mean ± SD. The differences were statistically significant when compared with the Ctrl group (^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01). Differences were statistically significant with the dextran sulfate sodium group (^cP < 0.05, ^dP < 0.01). Cur: Curcumin; DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium.