Curcumin Attenuates Dextran Sodium Sulfate Induced Colitis in Obese Mice

Scope: Curcumin (Cur), with diverse pharmacological properties, shows anti-obesity, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory effects. Its role in ulcerative colitis complicated by obesity remains unclear.

Methods and results: Here, colitis is induced in obese mice using dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), followed by administration of Cur at a dosage of 100 mg kg⁻¹ for 14 days. Cur effectively alleviates DSS-induced colitis in obese mice, accompanied by an increase in body weight and survival rate, reduction in disease activity index, elongation of the colon, decrease in colonic weight, and improvements in ulcer formation and inflammatory cell infiltration in colonic tissues. Additionally, Cur effectively improves lipid metabolism and the composition of the gut microbiota, and enhances mucosal integrity and boosts anti-oxidative stress capacity in obese mice with colitis. Importantly, Cur is effective in improving the homeostasis of memory T cells in obese mice with colitis. Furthermore, Cur regulates inflammatory cytokines expression and inhibits activation of the JAK2/STAT signaling pathway in colonic tissues of obese mice with colitis.

Conclusions: Cur alleviates colitis in obese mice through a comprehensive mechanism that improves lipid metabolism, modulates gut microbiota composition, enhances mucosal integrity and anti-oxidative stress, balances memory T cell populations, regulates inflammatory cytokines, and suppresses the JAK2/STAT signaling pathway.