Comparison of the efficacy of TXNDC5 monoclonal antibody versus conventional drugs in the treatment of intestinal fibrosis associated with inflammatory bowel disease.

To compare the therapeutic efficacy of a thioredoxin domain-containing protein 5 (TXNDC5) monoclonal antibody (mAb) against prednisolone and sulfasalazine in DSS-induced IBD-related intestinal fibrosis mouse models. A total of 48 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four model groups (Group A-D, 12 animals per group), while seven extra mice were assigned to the blank control group. Intestinal fibrosis was induced in mice of Groups A to D via recurrent administration of 2% DSS solution. On day 26 post-modeling, five mice from each model group were sacrificed to validate model success, and the leftover animals were treated with corresponding drugs or saline for 14 successive days. Multiple detection indexes were assessed in this study, consisting of body weight, DAI score, colonic morphological features, serum levels of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), collagen deposition level as well as colonic TXNDC5 expression. One-way ANOVA coupled with Tukey's post hoc test was applied for all statistical analyses. The TXNDC5 mAb group presented better weight restoration and earlier DAI remission. It obtained longer colon length, lower colon weight, decreased serum inflammatory cytokines and milder collagen accumulation relative to the two conventional drug groups (all P < 0.05). Meanwhile, TXNDC5 mRNA and protein expression were significantly downregulated in the mAb group compared with prednisolone and sulfasalazine groups. No statistical difference was found between the two traditional medication groups. At the experimental doses adopted in the present study, TXNDC5 mAb showed more pronounced anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects than prednisolone in DSS-induced mice. However, due to the potentially sub-therapeutic sulfasalazine dose, its comparative superiority over sulfasalazine cannot be established from the current data. These findings should be considered preliminary and hypothesis-generating, requiring further validation in optimized experimental settings.