Scientific Journal of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences No.114/ Oct-Nov 2021/69-79 Protective Effect of Aloe Vera Gel in Ulcerative Colitis: The Role of Inflammatory and Anti-Inflammatory Factors Zakieh Keshavarzi 1 , Mosa-Al- Reza Hadjzadeh 2 , Masoud Nazari 3 , Roghaye Arezumand 4 1.Associated Professor of Natural Products and Medicinal Plants Research Center, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran., (Corresponding Author), Tel: 058-31513007, E-mail: Zakieh_keshavarzi@yahoo.com , ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5992-1291 2.Professor of Neurocognitive Research Center, College of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0086-6472 3.Assistant Professor of Natural Products and Medicinal Plants Research Center, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran. ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8138-4151 4.Assistant Professor of Natural Products and Medicinal Plants Research Center, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran. ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4197-2490 ABSTRACT Aim and Background: Anti-inflammatory compounds are effective in improving the symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of aloe vera extract against the inflammatory factors affecting acetic acid-induced ulcerative colitis. Materials and Methods: 32 male Wistar rats are divided into 4 groups of 8 including: control group, untreated colitis group, colitis group treated with aloe vera (200 mg / kg/ day) and sulfasalazine group as a standard treatment (500 mg /kg/ day) from two days before induction of colitis to 5 days after induction of colitis. Experimental colitis was induced by intrarectal injection of 2 ml of 3% acetic acid. Rats were sacrificed on the eighth day of induction of colitis and some factors involved in inflammation, such as tumor necrosis factor- alpha, interleukin-10, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX II) and PGE2 levels in colon tissue were measured. Results: Inflammation induced in colon by acetic acid injection. Sulfasalazine and aloe vera reduced the inflammatory factor (tumor necrosis factor alpha) and increased anti- inflammatory factor (interleukin-10) in colon tissue. But they had no effect on the COX II and PGE2 levels in colon tissue. Conclusion: The results suggested that aloe vera could possibly improve colitis by suppressing inflammatory promoting factors and increasing anti-inflammatory factors. Keywords: Sulfasalazine, COX II, PGE2, Tumor necrosis factor alpha, Interleukin 10 Received: Nov 28, 2020 Accepted: June 30, 2021 Copyright © 2018 the Author (s). Published by Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial License 4.0 (CCBYNC), where it is permissible to download, share, remix, transform, and buildup the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be used commercially without permission from the journal How to cite the article: Zakieh Keshavarzi, Mosa-Al- Reza Hadjzadeh, Masoud Nazari, Roghaye Arezumand. Protective effect of aloe vera gel in ulcerative colitis: the role of inflammatory and anti- inflammatory factors. SJKU 2019;26(4):69-79. [ DOI: 10.52547/sjku.26.4.69 ] [ Downloaded from sjku.muk.ac.ir on 2022-10-14 ] 1 / 11