Taraxacum officinale protects against cholecystokinin-induced acute pancreatitis in rats.
OBJECTIVE
Taraxacum officinale (TO) has been frequently used as a remedy for inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of TO on cholecystokinin (CCK)-octapeptide-induced acute pancreatitis in rats.


METHODS
TO at 10 mg/kg was orally administered, followed by 75 microg/kg CCK octapeptide injected subcutaneously three times after 1, 3 and 5 h. This whole procedure was repeated for 5 d. We determined the pancreatic weight/body weight ratio, the levels of pancreatic HSP60 and HSP72, and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Repeated CCK octapeptide treatment resulted in typical laboratory and morphological changes of experimentally-induced pancreatitis.


RESULTS
TO significantly decreased the pancreatic weight/body weight ratio in CCK octapeptide-induced acute pancreatitis. TO also increased the pancreatic levels of HSP60 and HSP72. Additionally, the secretion of IL-6 and TNF-alpha decreased in the animals treated with TO.


CONCLUSIONS
TO may have a protective effect against CCK octapeptide-induced acute pancreatitis.
Seo
Sang-Wan
SW
Department of Pharmacology, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
Koo
Hyun-Na
HN
An
Hyo-Jin
HJ
Kwon
Kang-Beom
KB
Lim
Byung-Cheal
BC
Seo
Eun-A
EA
Ryu
Do-Gon
DG
Moon
Goo
G
Kim
Hong-Yeoul
HY
Kim
Hyung-Min
HM
Hong
Seung-Heon
SH
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000378:metabolism; D050884:HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012844:Sincalide; D031205:Taraxacum
D018834:Chaperonin 60; D050884:HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D028321:Plant Preparations; D012844:Sincalide