# Oxymatrine for inflammatory bowel disease in preclinical studies: a systematic review and meta-analysis

## TL;DR

This study reviews preclinical evidence showing that oxymatrine may help treat inflammatory bowel disease by reducing inflammation and improving intestinal health in animal models.

## Contribution

A systematic review and meta-analysis of oxymatrine's effects on IBD in preclinical studies, revealing its potential therapeutic mechanisms.

## Key findings

- Oxymatrine reduced inflammation markers like IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in IBD animal models.
- Oxymatrine improved intestinal barrier function by increasing ZO-1 and occludin expression.
- Oxymatrine extended colon length and lowered disease activity in IBD models.

## Abstract

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic, idiopathic inflammatory disorder of the intestines. Oxymatrine (OMT) is a naturally active substance found in the desiccated roots of Sophora flavescens. It possesses anti-tumor, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. In recent years, its therapeutic role in IBD has gradually been discovered. This review aims to explore the impact of OMT on inflammatory bowel disease by animal models.

Conduct a systematic search in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Medline databases. Using SYRCLE’s risk of bias tool to assess the bias risk and quality of the included studies. For some data presented as figures, Web Plot Digitizer 4.2 software was used to extract it. STATA 16.0 was selected for the final meta-analysis.

After rigorous literature screening, 12 studies were included. The data analysis results indicated that the disease activity index (DAI), histopathological score (HS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the IBD animal models significantly decreased following intervention with oxymatrine. Furthermore, OMT also extended the colon length in the animal models and improved the expression level of zonula occludens-1(ZO-1) and occludin. These results suggested that OMT may improve the condition of IBD through anti-inflammatory, antioxidative stress and protecting the intestinal barrier.

Meta-analysis suggests oxymatrine positively affects IBD animal models. This provides new insights for the clinical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024570580, identifier [CRD42024570580].