Influence of dexamethasone on mesenteric lymph node of rats with severe acute pancreatitis.
OBJECTIVE
To study the influence and mechanisms of dexamethasone on mesenteric lymph node of rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).


METHODS
The SAP rats were assigned to model, treated or sham-operated groups. The mortality, pathological changes of mesenteric lymph nodes, expression levels of NF-kappa B, P-selectin, Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 protein and changes in apoptotic indexes in lymph nodes were observed at 3, 6 and 12 h after operation. The blood levels of endotoxin, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in blood were determined.


RESULTS
SOD content, expression of Bax protein and apoptotic index were significantly higher in the treated group than in the model group at different time points (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Other blood-detecting indexes and histopathological scores of mesenteric lymph nodes were lower in the treated than in the model group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01 or P < 0.01). NF-kappa B protein expression was negative in all groups. Comparing P-selectin and caspase-3 expression levels among all three groups, there was no marked difference between the model and treated group.


CONCLUSIONS
Dexamethasone can protect mesenteric lymph nodes. The mechanism may be by reducing the content of inflammatory mediators in the blood and inducing lymphocyte apoptosis.
Department of General Surgery, Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Hangzhou 310006, Zhejiang Province, China. zxp99688@vip.163.com
Xi-Ping
XP
Zhang
Hong-Miao
HM
Xu
Yi-Yu
YY
Jiang
Shuo
S
Yu
Yang
Y
Cai
Bei
B
Lu
Qi
Q
Xie
Tong-Fa
TF
Ju
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008643:Mesentery / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000378:metabolism; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; C494828:Bax protein, rat; D019332:Endothelin-1; D016328:NF-kappa B; D019007:P-Selectin; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D003907:Dexamethasone; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D053148:Caspase 3