Expression of sonic hedgehog signaling pathways in a rat model of chronic pancreatitis.
OBJECTIVE
To establish a rat model of chronic pancreatitis, and to prove the activation of sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathways in chronic pancreatitis.


METHODS
This study was conducted between January and July 2008 in the Department of General Surgery, Wuhan General Hospital, Guangzhou Military Command, Wuhan, China. Thirty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group (A), experimental control group (B), and model group (C) (10 rats in each group). Trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid was infused into the pancreatic duct to induce chronic pancreatitis in the model group rats. In the experimental control group, we opened the abdominal cavity and infused with 0.9% sodium chloride solution. Serum levels of bilirubin and amylase were determined by radioimmunoassay. Histopathological alterations were studied using the optical microscopy. Expression of patched-1 (PTCH-1), smoothened (SMO), and SHH were detected by immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
Compared with the control group (A), the serum bilirubin and amylase in the model group increased significantly after 7 days of treatment, and fibrotic proliferation of pancreatic tissues were found after 35 days; the expression of PTCH-1, SMO, and SHH in the pancreatic tissue increased significantly in the model group.


CONCLUSIONS
Trinitrobeneze sulfonic acid can induce chronic pancreatitis in rat. The SHH signaling pathway is activated in rats with chronic pancreatitis.
Wei-Guo
Hu
H
Department of General Surgery, Wuhan General Hospital, Guangzhou Military Command, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
Xi-Wang
Liao
L
Qi-Ping
Lu
L
D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D010179:Pancreas / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D050500:Pancreatitis, Chronic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000502:physiology; D014302:Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology
D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; C546888:Shh protein, rat; D014302:Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid; D003094:Collagen; D000681:Amylases; D001663:Bilirubin