The multi-herbal preparation STW5 is a clinically proven drug to ameliorate symptoms
of functional gastro-intestinal diseases[1]. Both, anti-inflammatory and motility-modulating
effects are part of its mechanism of action.
In the present study, an in-depth investigation of the impact of STW5 on intestinal
inflammation was performed in the small intestine of adult mice, based on full thickness
gut wall samples and isolated myenteric plexus preparations.
For that purpose, a pro-inflammatory cytokine mixture (IL1ß, TNFα, IFNγ) was injected
into the supporting blood vessel arcades of small intestinal segments with or without
additional STW 5 luminal perfusion. Subsequently various cytokines were analyzed in
the gut wall homogenates using multiplex-ELISA. Inflammation was induced in myenteric
plexus cultures in vitro using the same cytokine cocktail. Cytokines in cell culture supernatants from cultures
with and without treatment with STW5 were compared.
Multiplex analysis showed a higher amount of the pro-inflammatory cytokines G-CSF,
IL-6 and LIF under inflammatory conditions in both, gut wall homogenates and myenteric
plexus cultures. Treatment with STW5 leads to a reduction of the cytokine concentrations
in the homogenates and myenteric plexus culture supernatants. The cytokines RANTES,
GM-CSF and IL-22 could be reduced only in the gut wall homogenates, when treated with
STW-5.
In conclusion, the multicomponent herbal drug STW5 leads to a reduced release of pro-inflammatory
cytokines in the small intestinal gut wall and shows also a direct anti-inflammatory
effect on the enteric nervous system under induced inflammation.
[1] Michael S, Abdel-Aziz H, Weiser D, Muller CE, Kelber O, Nieber K. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's
Archives of Pharmacology 2012; 385: 411 – 421
