Roxadustat protect mice from DSS-induced colitis in vivo by up-regulation of TLR4

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is growing in the population. At present, the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease remains unclear, and there is no effective and low-toxic therapeutic drug. The role of the PHD-HIF pathway in relieving DSS-induced colitis is gradually being explored. Wild-type C57BL/6 mice were used as a model of DSS-induced colitis to explore the important role of Roxadustat in alleviating DSS-induced colitis. High-throughput RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR methods were used to screen and verify the key differential genes in the colon of mice between normal saline (NS) and Roxadustat groups. Roxadustat could alleviate DSS-induced colitis. Compared with the mice in the NS group, TLR4 were significantly up-regulated in the Roxadustat group. TLR4 KO mice were used to verify the role of TLR4 in the alleviation of DSS-induced colitis by Roxadustat. Roxadustat has a repairing effect on DSS-induced colitis, and may alleviate DSS-induced colitis by targeting the TLR4 pathway and promote intestinal stem cell proliferation. •Our study found that Roxadustat has a protective effect on DSS-induced colitis. And its low toxicity can be used as clinical medicine.•We found that roxadustat alleviates DSS-induced colitis mainly through several molecules represented by TLR4.