title: Rhubarb attenuates the severity of acute necrotizing pancreatitis by inhibiting MAPKs in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of rhubarb on MAPK activation in sodium taurocholate-induced pancreatitis in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  All rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, acute pancreatitis (AP) and rhubarb treatment groups. The MAPK activation was detected by western blotting. The levels of TNFα and IL6 in serum were estimated by ELISA. The pathological changes of the pancreas were examined microscopically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that hemorrhage, exudates and infiltration of inflammatory cells in the pancreas were significantly less in the rhubarb group than in the AP group. In the AP group, the activation of MAPKs in pancreatic tissues was enhanced significantly at every time point compared with the control group and the levels of TNFα and IL6 were also increased. Rhubarb treatment markedly inhibited activation of MAPKs concomitantly with inhibition of TNFα and IL6 expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that rhubarb probably attenuates AP by inhibiting activation of MAPKs and expression of inflammatory mediators.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Central Hospital of Xuhui District, 966# HuaiHai Middle Road, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fei
authors.forename: Xiong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wenjian
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiachen
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beina
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhonghua
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiangyi
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shaoying
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D018450:Disease Progression; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010179:Pancreas / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019283:Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012250:Rheum; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013656:Taurocholic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D013656:Taurocholic Acid; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases