Macrophage migration inhibitory factor antagonist (S,R)3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-5-isoxazole acetic acid methyl ester attenuates inflammation and lung injury in rats with acute pancreatitis in pregnancy

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an inflammatory cytokine involved in many acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. However, its role in acute lung injury associated with acute pancreatitis in pregnancy (APIP) has not yet been elucidated. The present study was undertaken to clarify the effect and potential mechanism of MIF antagonist (S,R)3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-5-isoxazole acetic acid methyl ester (ISO-1) in the development of acute lung injury in rats with APIP. Eighteen late-gestation SD rats were randomly assigned to three groups: Sham operation (SO) group, APIP group, and ISO-1 group. All the rats were sacrificed 6 h after modeling. The severity of pancreatitis was evaluated by serum amylase (AMY), lipase (LIPA), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 and assessing the histopathological score. Lung injury was determined by performing histology and inflammatory cell infiltration investigations. Western blot analysis was used to detect the protein expression of MIF, phosphorylated and total P38 and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) protein in lungs. The results showed that MIF was upregulated in the lung of APIP rats. Compared with APIP group, the intervention of ISO-1 alleviated the pathological injury of the pancreas and lungs, decreased serum AMY and LIPA, attenuated serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, reduced the number of MPO-positive cells in the lung and inhibited the activation of P38MAPK and NF-κB. These results suggest that MIF is activated in lung injury induced by APIP. Furhtermore, the present findings indicate that the MIF antagonist ISO-1 has a protective effect on lung injury and inflammation, which may be associated with deactivating the P38MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathway.