title: Taraxacum officinale protects against cholecystokinin-induced acute pancreatitis in rats.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Hyun-Na
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Hyo-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Kang-Beom
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Byung-Cheal
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Eun-A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Do-Gon
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Goo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Hong-Yeoul
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyung-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seung-Heon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D018834:Chaperonin 60; D050884:HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D028321:Plant Preparations; D012844:Sincalide