Role of the Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway in intestinal mucosal barrier injury in rats with severe acute pancreatitis / 临床肝胆病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the expression and role of the Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway in intestinal mucosal barrier injury in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Methods A total of 48 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham-operation group (Sham group), SAP model group (SAP group), SAP+Shh signaling pathway-specific agonist purmorphamine group (PUR+SAP group), and SAP+Shh signaling pathway-specific antagonist cyclopamine group (CYC+SAP group) using a random number table, with 12 rats in each group, and each group was further divided into 12-hour and 24-hour subgroups, with 6 rats in each subgroup. Rats were given retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate into the pancreatic and bile ducts to establish a model of SAP, and rats in the intervention groups were given intraperitoneal injection of 0.69 mg/kg purmorphamine and 0.69 mg/kg cyclopamine before modeling. Related samples were collected at 12 and 24 hours after modeling. HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of the pancreas and the ileum; ELISA was used to measure the serum levels of amylase, lipase, diamine oxidase (DAO), and endotoxin-core antibody (EndoCAb); the TUNEL method was used to observe the apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells; Western blot was used to measure the expression levels of Shh, Ptch1, and Gli1 in ileal tissue. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t -test was used for further comparison between two groups; the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups and further comparison between two groups. Results Compared with the Sham group, the SAP group had significant increases in the pathological scores of pancreatic and ileum tissue, the serum levels of lipase, amylase, DAO, and EndoCAb, the apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells, and the protein expression levels of Shh, Ptch1, and Gli1 in ileal tissue (all P < 0.05). Compared with the SAP group, the PUR+SAP group had significantly alleviated pathological injury and dysfunction of the pancreas and intestine, a significant reduction in the apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells, and significant increases in the protein expression levels of Shh, Ptch1, and Gli1 in ileal tissue (all P < 0.05). Compared with the SAP group, the CYC+SAP group had significant aggravation of the pathological injury and dysfunction of the pancreas and intestine, a significant increase in the apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells, and significant reductions in the protein expression levels of Shh, Ptch1, and Gli1 in ileal tissue (all P < 0.05). Conclusion The Shh signaling pathway may be involved in intestinal mucosal barrier injury in SAP and exerts a protective effect.