title: Up-regulation of Toll-like receptor 4 was suppressed by emodin and baicalin in the setting of acute pancreatitis.
abstract: Acute pancreatitis (AP) activates the systemic inflammatory response and is potentially lethal. Recent studies demonstrated that pancreatic enzymes could induce cytokine expression via Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signal pathway, indicating a possible role of TLR4 in local pancreatic injury and systemic inflammatory response. Emodin, an anthraquinone derivative from Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, and baicalin, a flavone from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, both have been reported to possess anti-inflammatory activities. In present study, we investigated the combined effect of emodin and baicalin on pancreatic damage and pancreatitis associated lung injury, as well as tissue TLR4 expression in the setting of AP. The results showed that combination of emodin and baicalin significantly reduced serum amylase, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6, attenuated pancreatic and pulmonary damage, also suppressed TLR4 expression in pancreas and lung. It could be speculated that amelioration of pancreatic and pulmonary damage by emodin and baicalin might contribute, in part at least, to the suppression of TLR4 expression. The present study provides beneficial evidence as to simultaneous treatment for AP, and also suggests an important role of TLR4 in pathophysiology of AP.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No.157, Xiwu Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710004, PR China. lzf2588@gmail.com
authors.forename: Zongfang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xianming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Aijun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wangjun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bo
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004642:Emodin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012250:Rheum / Q000737:chemistry; D031364:Scutellaria baicalensis / Q000737:chemistry; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005419:Flavonoids; D015850:Interleukin-6; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C038044:baicalin; D000681:Amylases; D004642:Emodin