title: The effects of glycyrrhizin on acute pancreatitis in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the effects of glycyrrhizin on acute pancreatitis in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty Balb/c mice were randomly divided into four groups as control group, model group, low dose group and high dose group (n=15). Acute pancreatitis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of Caerulein (100 µg/kg) hourly for 6 times. Mice in low dose group and high dose group received intraperitoneal administration of 15 mg/kg and 45 mg/kg glycyrrhizin respectively 4 hours before Caerulein injection. Mice in four groups were sacrificed in three equal lots at 8, 16 and 24 hours after model construction. High Mobility Group Box-1 (HMGB1) expression and serum levels of amylase, TNF-α and IL-6 were determined. The pancreatic tissues were taken for histopathologic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amylase, TNF-α, IL-6 and HMGB1 levels were significantly higher and pancreas lesion was severer in model group than in control group. However, Amylase, TNF-α, IL-6 and HMGB1 levels in low dose group and high dose group decreased significantly compared with model group. The pancreas lesion was also improved after administration of glycyrrhizin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Glycyrrhizin could decrease the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and downregulate the expression of HMGB1 which finally improved the pancreas lesion in mice with acute pancreatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. yonglipan@yeah.net.
authors.forename: Y-L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024243:HMGB1 Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011897:Random Allocation; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D024243:HMGB1 Protein; C582808:HMGB1 protein, mouse; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid; D000681:Amylases