title: Glycyrrhizin suppresses the expressions of HMGB1 and relieves the severity of traumatic pancreatitis in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) plays important roles in a large variety of diseases; glycyrrhizin (GL) is recognized as an HMGB1 inhibitor. However, few studies have focused on whether glycyrrhizin can potentially improve the outcome of traumatic pancreatitis (TP) by inhibiting HMGB1.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 60 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 20 in each): Control group, TP group and TP-GL group. Pancreatic trauma was established with a custom-made biological impact machine-III, and GL was administered at 15 minutes after the accomplishment of operation. To determine survival rates during the first 7 days after injury, another 60 rats (n = 20 in each) were grouped and treated as mentioned above. At 24 hours of induction of TP, the histopathological changes in pancreas were evaluated and serum amylase levels were tested. Serum tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and HMGB1 were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. HMGB1 expressions in pancreas were measured using immunohistochemical staining, Western blot and Real-Time PCR analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum levels of HMGB1, TNF-α and IL-6 were increased dramatically in TP group at 24 hours after induction of TP. However, these indicators were reduced significantly by GL administration in TP-GL group comparing with TP group (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, survival analysis showed that the seven-day survival rate in TP-GL group was significantly higher than that in TP group (85% versus 65%, P < 0.05). GL treatment significantly decreased the pancreatic protein and mRNA expressions of HMGB1 and ameliorated the pancreatic injury in rats with TP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Glycyrrhizin might play an important role in improving survival rates and ameliorating pancreatic injury of TP by suppression of the expressions of HMGB1 and other proinflammatory cytokine.
authors.affiliation: The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China; Department of General Surgery, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Zhulin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jiandong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Fuzhou
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Lijun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Chengdu Military General Hospital, Chengdu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Ruiwu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D024243:HMGB1 Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D024243:HMGB1 Protein; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid; D000681:Amylases