Protective effects of panax notoginseng saponin on dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in rats through phosphoinositide-3-kinase protein kinase B signaling pathway inhibition

Figure 1 Panax notoginseng saponin alleviates dextran sulfate sodium-induced intestinal injury. A: Weight changes of rats in the four groups; B: Comparison among the four groups in disease activity index; C: Comparison among the four groups in colon length; D: Comparison among the four groups in crypt depth. ^aP < 0.05. PNS: Panax notoginseng saponin; DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium.

Figure 2 Panax notoginseng saponin improves histopathological scores of dextran sulfate sodium-induced rats. A: Histopathological scores; B: Hematoxylin & eosin staining. ^aP < 0.05. PNS: Panax notoginseng saponin; DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium.

Figure 3 Panax notoginseng saponin alleviates intestinal oxidative damage in rats. A: Comparison among the four groups in malondialdehyde; B: Comparison among the four groups in myeloperoxidase; C: Comparison among the four groups in superoxide dismutase; D: Comparison among the four groups in catalase. ^aP < 0.05. PNS: Panax notoginseng saponin; DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium; MDA: Malondialdehyde; MPO: Myeloperoxidase; CAT: Catalase; SOD: Superoxide dismutase.

Figure 4 Panax notoginseng saponin alleviates intestinal inflammatory response in rats. A: Comparison among the four groups in interleukin-6 (IL-6); B: Comparison among the four groups in tumor necrosis factor-α; C: Comparison among the four groups in IL-1β; D: Comparison among the four groups in IL-10. ^aP < 0.05. PNS: Panax notoginseng saponin; DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium; IL: Interleukin; TNF-α: Tumor necrosis factor-α.

Figure 5 Effects of panax notoginseng saponin on tight junction proteins in the intestinal mechanical barrier of rats. A: Comparison of claudin-1 among the four groups; B: Comparison of occluding among the four groups; C: Comparison in ZO-1 among the four groups; D: Western blot protein map. ^aP < 0.05. PNS: Panax notoginseng saponin; DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium.

Figure 6 Effects of panax notoginseng saponin on phosphoinositide-3-kinase protein kinase B signaling pathway. A: Comparison of p-PI3 among the four groups; B: Comparison of p-AKT among the four groups; C: Western blot protein map. ^aP < 0.05. PNS: Panax notoginseng saponin; DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium.

Figure 7 Effects of panax notoginseng saponin on apoptosis in the colon tissues of rats. A: The number of apoptotic TUNEL-positive cells in rats from the four groups; B: Comparison among the four groups in Bax; C: Comparison among the four groups in Caspase-3; D: Comparison among the four groups in Bcl-2; E: Western blot protein map. ^aP < 0.05. PNS: Panax notoginseng saponin; DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium.

Figure 8 Effects of inhibiting the phosphoinositide-3-kinase protein kinase B signaling pathway on apoptosis of colon tissue cells in colitis rats. A: Effects of inhibiting the phosphoinositide-3-kinase protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway on apoptosis rates of colon tissue cells; B: Effects of inhibiting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway on the phosphorylation of PI3K and AKT in the colon tissues of rats; C: Effects of inhibiting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway on apoptosis-related proteins in colon tissues. ^aP < 0.05. PNS: Panax notoginseng saponin; DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium.

Figure 9 Macrophage changes in spleen and colon tissues. A: Percentage of CD11b⁺F4/80-labeled macrophages in spleen and colon tissues; B: CD16/32-labeled MI macrophages in spleen and colon tissues; C: CD206-labeled M2 macrophages in spleen and colon tissues; D, E: Flow cytometry. ^aP < 0.05. PNS: Panax notoginseng saponin; DSS: Dextran sulfate sodium.