title: Early prediction of intestinal mucosal barrier function impairment by elevated serum procalcitonin in rats with severe acute pancreatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels as a prognostic indicator of intestinal barrier function impairment in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly grouped into SAP group (injected sodium taurocholate via biliopancreatic duct), Gln group (gavaged with glutamine after modeling), and control group. Blood, pancreatic, and terminal ileum tissues were obtained from the rats after 6 h of modeling. Serum amylase (Amy) levels were determined using an automatic biochemical detector, while endotoxin (ET), diamine oxidase (DAO), and PCT levels were measured by ELISA test. The pathology of pancreatic and small intestine tissues were observed. PCT protein expression in intestinal tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry and western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pancreatic and intestinal injuries in Gln group were significantly lower than SAP group. Serum amylase, DAO, and PCT levels in SAP and Gln groups differed greatly and were significantly higher than control group. Immuno-histochemistry and western blot results showed that PCT protein expression levels in small intestine tissues of SAP group were higher than Gln group and control group. Serum PCT levels had a significant correlation with serum endotoxin, DAO levels and intestinal mucosal injury scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PCT expression in serum and intestinal tissues in SAP rats increased significantly in the early stages of SAP, and was closely related to the onset and degree of intestinal barrier function impairment. Thus, our results showed that measuring serum PCT can be used to predict intestinal mucosal barrier function impairment in SAP rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China.
authors.forename: Hong-chang
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China.
authors.forename: Xin-juan
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China.
authors.forename: Ya-feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China.
authors.forename: Jia-min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China.
authors.forename: Li-yun
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China.
authors.forename: Teng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China.
authors.forename: Pei-hao
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Center, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China. Electronic address: fdianxu@sohu.com.
authors.forename: Dian-xu
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D002116:Calcitonin
keywords: Acute pancreatitis; Early prediction; Impairment; Intestinal barrier function; Procalcitonin; Severe