title: Protecting effects of a large dose of dexamethasone on spleen injury of rats with severe acute pancreatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the protecting effects and mechanisms of dexamethasone on spleen injury in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).
  
  
  METHODS
  The rats were randomly divided into a model control group, treated group and sham-operated group. The contents of plasma endotoxin, serum NO, phospholipase A(2) enzyme (PLA(2)) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were determined. The mortality rate, pathological changes and changes of Bax and Bcl-2 protein expression levels and apoptotic indexes in the spleen of rats were observed in all groups, respectively, at 3, 6 and 12 h after operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the survival rate was significantly higher in the treated group than in the model control group, there was no significantly different between them (P > 0.05). The expression levels of Bax and Bcl-2 proteins and apoptotic indexes were significantly higher in the treated group than in the model control group at different time points (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) while other blood indexes contents and pathological severity scores of spleen were significantly lower in the treated group than in the model control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01 or P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dexamethasone can protect spleen from injury during SAP mainly by reducing the content of inflammatory mediators in blood.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang Province, China. zxp99688@vip.163.com
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xiping
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ruiping
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Binyan
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hanqing
authors.forename: Zhu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rongchao
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wenqin
authors.forename: Bai
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jinjin
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000097:blood; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D054467:Phospholipases A2 / Q000097:blood; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013656:Taurocholic Acid; D013997:Time Factors; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; C494828:Bax protein, rat; D019332:Endothelin-1; D004731:Endotoxins; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D013656:Taurocholic Acid; D003907:Dexamethasone; D054467:Phospholipases A2