Changes of neuronal acetylcholine receptor alpha 7 of peritoneal macrophage in experimental acute pancreatitis treated by Chaiqin Chengqi Decoction ().
OBJECTIVE
To investigate effect of Chaiqin Chengqi Decoction (, CQCQD) on changes of neuronal acetylcholine receptor alpha 7 (nAChRα7) of peritoneal macrophages in acute pancreatitis (AP).


METHODS
Eighteen Kunming mice were equally randomized into the control group, AP group and CQCQD treatment group. AP was induced by two intraperitoneal injections of 4 g/kg L-arginine at 1 h apart, while control mice received saline injections. At 72 h after the first injection of L-arginine, mice in the treatment group were intragastrically administered 0.1 mL/10 g CQCQD every 2 h for 3 times, whilst mice in the other two groups received the same amount of saline feeding. Mice were sacrificed by cervical dislocation 2 h after the last feeding of either CQCQD or saline. Peritoneal macrophages were collected for determination of nAChRα7 mRNA and protein expression. Serum was collected for detection of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10 and acetylcholine (ACh) levels, and pancreas was for histopathology analysis.


RESULTS
The CQCQD treatment significantly ameliorated the severity of AP as evidenced by reducing the pancreatic histopathology score (4.5±0.5 vs. 6.2±1.7, P<0.05) and the serum IL-6 levels (1228.3±419.2 pg/mL vs. 1589.6±337.3 pg/mL, P<0.05). The mRNA and protein expression of nAChRα7 of the peritoneal macrophages in the AP group were similar to the control group (P>0.05), but were significantly up-regulated after the CQCQD treatment (P<0.05). The serum ACh levels in the AP group were significantly lower than those in the control group (3.1±0.6 μg/mL vs 4.8±0.7 μg/mL P<0.05), but were significantly increased after the CQCQD treatment (5.6±1.5 μg/mL vs 3.1±0.6 μg/mL, P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
CQCQD is protective against L-arginine-induced AP through mechanisms involving nAChRα7 of peritoneal macrophages.
Pancreatic Diseases Research Group, Department of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
Ping
P
Xue
Jia
J
Guo
Xiao-nan
XN
Yang
Wei
W
Huang
Qing
Q
Xia
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010179:Pancreas / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D015850:Interleukin-6; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor; C000598754:chaiqin chengqi; D016753:Interleukin-10; D000109:Acetylcholine