Effect of hemin on severe acute pancreatitis-associated lung injury in rats and its mechanism / 中南大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of hemin on lung injury following severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in rats and to explore its rudimentary mechanism.@*METHODS@#Thirty-six rats were randomly divided into 3 groups a control group, a SAP model group, and a hemin-pretreated group. Rats were sacrificed 12 hours after inducing SAP model. The pathological changes of the pancreas and lungs were observed under light microscope. Expression of heme oxygenase (HO-1) mRNA was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), NF-kappaB activity in the lung tissues was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the serum levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 were measured by ELISA.@*RESULTS@#HO-1 was induced during experimental SAP, NF-kappaB activity in the lung tissues was elevated after the induction of SAP and the serum levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 were significantly elevated. Hemin further upregulated the expression of HO-1 mRNA, decreased NF-kappaB activity drastically, and inhibited the serum levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 significantly (P < 0.05). Hemin could treat SAP by alleviating the pancreatic and lung injury.@*CONCLUSION@#Hemin moderates the inflammatory reaction and decreases the lung injury following SAP, the mechanism of which may be closely related to the upregulation of expression of HO-1 mRNA, the inhibitory effect on NF-kappaB, and adjustment of cytokines.