Protective Effects of Lithospermum erythrorhizon Against Cerulein-Induced Acute Pancreatitis.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

We aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and inhibitory effects of Lithospermum erythrorhizon (LE) on cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis (AP) in a mouse model.

METHODS:

Acute pancreatitis was induced via intraperitoneal injection of cerulein (50 μg/kg) every hour for 6 times. In the LE, water extract (100, 250, or 500 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally 1 hour before the first injection of cerulein. Six hours after AP, blood, the pancreas, and the lung were harvested for further examination. In addition, pancreatic acinar cells were isolated using a collagenase method, and then, we investigated the acinar cell viability and cytokine productions.

RESULTS:

Treatment with LE reduced pancreatic damage and AP-associated lung injury and attenuated the severity of AP, as evidenced by the reduction in neutrophil infiltration, serum amylase and lipase levels, trypsin activity, and proinflammatory cytokine expression. In addition, treatment with LE inhibited high mobility group box 1 expression in the pancreas during AP. In accordance with in vivo data, LE inhibited the cerulein-induced acinar cell death, cytokine productions, and high-mobility group box 1 expression. Furthermore, LE also inhibited the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases.

CONCLUSIONS:

These results suggest that LE plays a protective role during the development of AP by inhibiting the activation of p38.

• Authors: Sun Bok Choi, Gi-Sang Bae, Il-Joo Jo, Seung-Hee Seo, Dong-Goo Kim, Joon-Yeon Shin, Seung-Heon Hong, Byung-Min Choi, Sang-Hyun Park, Ho-Joon Song, Sung-Joo Park
• Journal: Pancreas (Pancreas) Vol. 44 Issue 1 Pg. 31-40 (Jan 2015) ISSN: 1536-4828 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25102438 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents
• Biomarkers
• Cytokines
• HMGB1 Protein
• HMGB1 protein, mouse
• Inflammation Mediators
• Plant Extracts
• Ceruletide
• p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases

Topics

• Acute Disease
• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents (isolation & purification, pharmacology)
• Biomarkers (blood)
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Cells, Cultured
• Ceruletide
• Cytokines (blood)
• Cytoprotection
• Disease Models, Animal
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Enzyme Activation
• Female
• HMGB1 Protein (metabolism)
• Inflammation Mediators (blood)
• Lithospermum (chemistry)
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Neutrophil Infiltration (drug effects)
• Pancreas (drug effects, metabolism, pathology)
• Pancreatitis (blood, chemically induced, pathology, prevention & control)
• Phytotherapy
• Plant Extracts (isolation & purification, pharmacology)
• Plants, Medicinal
• Severity of Illness Index
• Signal Transduction (drug effects)
• Time Factors
• p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (metabolism)