Shaoyao Decoction regulated intestinal flora and 5-hydroxytryptamine metabolism to suppress T lymphocyte activation in ulcerative colitis

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), had shown significantly curative effect in treating ulcerative colitis (UC) in the clinic with unclear mechanism. Therefore, we performed this study to explore the pharmacological mechanism by using 16S rDNA, mRNA sequencing and targeted metabolomics. In a mouse model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, SYD significantly ameliorated bloody stool, tissue damage, inflammation, dysbiosis of the intestinal flora, and aberrant gene expression. Moreover, SYD may be involved in modulating the local inflammatory response in the intestine via the intestinal flora and its metabolites, as evidenced by the alpha indices, the beta distances, and the specific genera of intestinal bacteria relative abundance, as well as Short-chain fatty acids alterations in serum and faecal.