Protective Effects of Pioglitazone on Dextran Sodium Sulphate-Induced Colitis in Rats

The aim of the present study is to investigate the preventive effect of pioglitazone on colitis induced with dextran sulfate sodium (dss) in rats. twenty-four male sprague-dawley rats weighing 180-200 g were randomized into four groups. rats of the 1st group received only saline and served as normal group. colitis was induced in the remaining 3 groups by 1.5% dss administered in drinking water for 8 days. group 2 received only saline p.o. for 30 days and served as dss control group. groups 3 and 4 received pioglitazone (pio; 10 mg/kg/day, p.o.) and sulfasalazine (sul; 300 mg/kg) respectively for 30 days. all animals were sacrificed 24 h after the last treatment. serum levels of interleukin-2 (il-2), interleukin-6 (il-6), and interleukin-17 (il-17) were measured. levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (tnf-α), reduced glutathione (gsh) and malondialdhyde (mda), were measured in colon tissue. significant elevation in gsh levels and reduction in mda and tnf-α levels in colon tissue were observed in pioglitazone and sulfasalazine treated group when compared with the dss control group. significant elevation in serum il-2 and reduction in serum il-6 and il-17 were observed when compared with the dss control group. pioglitazone reduced dss-induced colitis possibly via reduction of mda, tnf-α, il-6, and il-17 levels.