title: Da-Huang-Fu-Zi-Tang attenuates liver injury in rats with severe acute pancreatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Da-Huang-Fu-Zi-Tang (DHFZT) is a famous traditional Chinese prescription with strong anti-inflammatory effects. Our previous work found that DHFZT could act against pancreatic injury in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) via inhibiting the Janus kinase 2/signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) signaling pathway in pancreatic tissues.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the therapeutic effects of DHFZT on liver injury in SAP rats, and the effects on JAK2/STAT3 signaling in liver tissue and Kupffer cells (KCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty SD male rats were randomly divided into five groups: sham operation group (SO), SAP model group, DHFZT treatment groups (12, 24, and 48 mg/kg body weight). The model of SAP was constructed by injecting sodium taurocholate (3.5%) into pancreatic and biliary ducts. One hour before constructing the model, DHFZT was perfused into the stomach. All rats were sacrificed after 24h following the operation; livers were examined with hematoxylin and eosin staining. The protein expression of pJAK2 and pSTAT3 in liver tissue was detected by immunohistochemical staining. The activity of ALT, IL-6 and TNF-α in serum was detected. KCs of each group were isolated. After culture for 4h, the protein expression of JAK2, pJAK2, STAT3 and pSTAT3, the mRNA expression of IL-6 and TNF-α in KCs were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sodium taurocholate induced liver injury concomitant with increased expression of pJAK2 and pSTAT3 in liver tissue and KCs. Pretreatment with DHFZT significantly attenuated liver injury induced by SAP, and concurrently, effectively lowered the serum ALT level. Furthermore, our studies showed that DHFZT obviously decreased the expression of pJAK2 and pSTAT3 in liver tissue and KCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DHFZT could ameliorate liver injury in rats with SAP.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, PR China; Engineering Center of State Ministry of Education for Standardization of Chinese Medicine Processing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China; National First-Class Key Discipline for Science of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, PR China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shi-zhong
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Bao-chang
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D053614:Janus Kinase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D007728:Kupffer Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D013656:Taurocholic Acid; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; C000590842:Da-Huang-Fu-Zi-Tang; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D015850:Interleukin-6; D020011:Protective Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494088:Stat3 protein, rat; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D013656:Taurocholic Acid; C507927:Jak2 protein, rat; D053614:Janus Kinase 2
keywords: ANOVA; Da-Huang-Fu-Zi-Tang; ELISA; HE; HPLC–MS; JAK2; JAK2/STAT3 pathway; Janus kinase 2; KCs; Kupffer cells; Liver injury; PBS; SAP; STAT3; Severe acute pancreatitis; TCM; analysis of variance; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; hematoxylin and eosin; high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry; phosphate buffered saline; severe acute pancreatitis; signal transducers and activators of transcription 3; traditional Chinese medicine