Acute electrical stimulation of the nucleus ambiguous upregulates the expression of interleukin-6 mRNA in rats with trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid-induced colitis

AIM:To observe the regulatory effects of the nucleus ambiguous (NA) on interleukin-6 expression in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and investigate the role of NA in the development and progression of IBD. METHODS:Trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)was used to induce colitis in rats. After stereotactic localization of the NA,electrical stimulation was applied. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was utilized to detect the expression of IL-6 mRNA in the colon,thymus,spleen and peripheral blood lymphocytes in rats with TNBSinduced colitis following acute electrical stimulation. RESULTS:After acute electrical stimulation,the expression levels of IL-6 mRNA significantly increased in the colon,thymus,spleen and peripheral blood lymphocytes in rats with TNBS-induced colitis (3.26E-02 ± 5.83E-03 vs 5.12E-03 ± 6.86E-04,5.52E-02 ± 9.56E-03 vs 2.04E-02 ± 3.58E-03,3.42E-02 ± 7.19E-03 vs 2.91E-03 ± 3.41E-04 and 8.12E-03 ± 4.24E-04 vs 3.74E-03 ± 5.73E-04,respectively; all P < 0.01),whereas those in normal control rats and shamstimulated rats showed no obvious changes (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION:The NA can positively regulate the expression of cytokine IL-6 in IBD rats and may play a regulatory role in the development and progression of IBD.