Da-Cheng-Qi Decoction Alleviates Intestinal Injury in Rats with Severe Acute Pancreatitis by Inhibiting the JAK2-STAT3 Signaling Pathway

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Da-Cheng-Qi decoction (DCQD) on treating intestinal injury in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), based on the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducers and transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway. METHODS: Rats were randomly divided into the SAP group, SAP + ruxolitinib (JAK2 inhibitor) group, SAP + Stattic (STAT3 inhibitor) group, SAP + DCQD group, and sham operation group. They were further divided into 3-hour, 6-hour, 12-hour, and 18-hour subgroups. Levels of amylase and the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin 6, interleukin 10, and interleukin 4 in plasma were tested. The messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of JAK2 and STAT3 and the protein expression of phosphorylated JAK2 (p-JAK2) and phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3) in the pancreas and terminal ileum tissues were examined. RESULTS: Rats with SAP had severe changes in plasma levels of amylase and inflammatory cytokines and showed an overexpression of JAK2 mRNA, STAT3 mRNA, p-JAK2 protein, and p-STAT3 protein in the pancreas and terminal ileum. The events could be downregulated by treatment with DCQD, JAK2 inhibitor, and STAT3 inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS: In rats with SAP, DCQD ameliorated inflammatory cytokines and intestinal injury, which may be closely associated with the inhibition of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.