Pramipexole Exerts Beneficial Effects in a Rat Model of Acetic Acid-Induced Colitis via Modulating Inflammation

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a serious public health problem worldwide. The existing therapy options for IBD are limited and can cause severe difficulties, and thus require more research on alternative therapeutic techniques. Pramipexole is a dopamine receptor agonist with anti-inflammatory effects that was recently discovered. Given the importance of dopaminergic pathways in ulcerative colitis inflammation, we tested pramipexole’s efficacy in a rat colitis model in this study. Materials and Methods: Colitis was induced by administering 3% acetic acid intrarectally. Rats were randomly assigned to one of six groups: normal, colitis control, dexamethasone (1 mg/kg; i.p.), and pramipexole (0.25, 0.5, and 1 mg/kg; i.p.). In intestinal samples, macroscopic and microscopic lesion ratings, pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1 beta), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were evaluated. Results: Compared to the colitis control group, pramipexole (0.5 and 1 mg/kg) substantially reduced macroscopic and microscopic intestinal damage, pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, and MPO activity. Furthermore, the indices mentioned above were considerably lower in the dexamethasone treatment group compared to the colitis control group. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that pramipexole has favorable benefits in treating experimental colitis; however, further research is required to determine its clinical value as an IBD therapeutic agent.