Baicalin Down-regulates the Expression of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) Effectively for Rats with Ulcerative Colitis

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether baicalin, a Chinese herbal extract, down-regulates the expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), an inflammatory factor that regulates the function of macrophages (MF), in rats with trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC). The results showed that baicalin simultaneously down-regulated the expression of MIF, the quantity of MFs and the amount of MF-related cytokines, including macrophage chemotactic factor-1 (MCP-1, CCL2) and macrophage inflammatory protein-3a (MIP-3a, CCL20), in rats with UC. There was no statistical difference between baicailin and mesalazine in down-regulating the expression of MIF. Our study demonstrated that baicalin, an inexpensive but effective monomer, could be a new and alternative pharmaceutical for UC. Copyright (C) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.