Effects of Baicalin on inflammatory mediators and pancreatic acinar cell apoptosis in rats with sever acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND: To investigate the effects of Baicalin and Octreotide on inflammatory mediators and pancreatic acinar cells apoptosis of rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). METHODS: SD rats were randomly divided into sham operated group (I group), model control group (II group), Baicalin treated group (III group) and Octreotide treated group (IV group). Each group was also divided into subgroup of 3, 6 and 12 h (n = 15). The mortality rate, ascites/body weight ratio as well as the level of endotoxin, NO and ET-1 in blood were measured. The pathological severity score of pancreas, apoptotic indexes, and expression levels of Bax and Bcl-2 proteins in each group were investigated. RESULTS: The survival rate of III and IV group has a significant difference compared with II group (P(12 h) < 0.05). The ascites volume, contents of inflammatory mediators in blood and pathological severity score of pancreas of III and IV group declined at different degrees compared to II group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01 or P < 0.001). Apoptotic index in III group was significantly higher than that in II group at 3 and 6 h (P(3, 6 h) < 0.05). Apoptotic index in IV group was significantly higher than that in II group at pancreatic tail at 6 h (P(6 h) < 0.05). Expression level of Bax in III group was significantly higher than that in II group (pancreatic head P(3 h,6 h) < 0.01, pancreatic tail P(3 h) < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with Octreotide in the treatment of SAP, the protective mechanisms of Baicalin include reducing the excessive inflammatory mediators’ release, inducing the pancreatic acinar cells apoptosis.