Basic Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2018. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 21, 2018; 24(39): 4448-4461
Published online Oct 21, 2018. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i39.4448
Sheng-jiang powder ameliorates obesity-induced pancreatic inflammatory injury via stimulating activation of the AMPK signalling pathway in rats
Yi-Fan Miao, Juan Li, Yu-Mei Zhang, Lv Zhu, Huan Chen, Ling Yuan, Jing Hu, Xiao-Lin Yi, Qiu-Ting Wu, Mei-Hua Wan, Wen-Fu Tang
Yi-Fan Miao, Juan Li, Yu-Mei Zhang, Lv Zhu, Huan Chen, Ling Yuan, Jing Hu, Xiao-Lin Yi, Qiu-Ting Wu, Mei-Hua Wan, Wen-Fu Tang, Department of Integrative Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Author contributions: Tang WF designed the study; Miao YF, Li J, Zhang YM, Zhu L, Chen H, Yuan L, Hu J, Yi XL, Wu QT, and Wan MH were responsible for the acquisition of data; Miao YF, Li J, and Zhang YM were responsible for the analysis and interpretation of data; Miao YF and Li J were responsible for the drafting of the paper; Tang WF was responsible for critical revisions of the paper; Tang WF and Li J obtained funding and provided study supervision; all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81603519 and No. 81573857.
Institutional review board statement: This study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of West China Hospital of Sichuan University.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: All rats were handled according to the University Guidelines and the Animal Care Committee Guidelines of West China Hospital (Chengdu, China) (protocol number, 2017052A).
Conflict-of-interest statement: None of the authors have any conflicts of interest to declare.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Wen-Fu Tang, PhD, Professor, Department of Integrative Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Lane, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China. tangwf@scu.edu.cn
Telephone: +86-28-85423546 Fax: +86-28-85423373
Received: July 9, 2018
Peer-review started: July 9, 2018
First decision: August 25, 2018
Revised: September 12, 2018
Accepted: October 5, 2018
Article in press: October 5, 2018
Published online: October 21, 2018
Abstract
AIM

To investigate the mechanisms by which Sheng-jiang powder (SJP) ameliorates obesity-induced pancreatic inflammatory injury.

METHODS

Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into three groups: normal group (NG), obese group (HLG), or SJP treatment group (HSG). Obesity was induced by feeding a high-fat diet in the HLG and HSG, while the NG received standard chow. Rats were euthanized after 12 wk, and blood and pancreatic tissues were collected for histopathological analyses. Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) expression, serum triglyceride and adiponectin levels, and apoptosis in pancreatic acinar cells were assessed. A high-fat AR42J acinar cell injury model was established using very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). AR42J acinar cell culture supernatant, treated with different interventions, was applied to seven groups of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs). The proliferation of PSCs and the expression of fibronectin and type I collagenase were assessed.

RESULTS

Compared with the NG, we found higher pathological scores for pancreatic tissues, lower serum adiponectin levels, higher expression levels of NF-κB in pancreatic tissues and TGF-β in pancreatic inflammatory cells, and increased apoptosis among pancreatic acinar cells for the HLG (P < 0.05). Compared with the HLG, we found reduced body weight, Lee’s index scores, serum triglyceride levels, and pathological scores for pancreatic tissues; higher serum adiponectin levels; and lower expression levels of NF-κB, in pancreatic tissue and TGF-β in pancreatic inflammatory cells for the HSG (P < 0.05). The in vitro studies showed enhanced PSC activation and increased expression levels of fibronectin and type I collagenase after SJP treatment. An adenosine 5‘-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibitor inhibited PSC activation.

CONCLUSION

SJP may ameliorate obesity-induced pancreatic inflammatory injury in rats by regulating key molecules of the adiponectin-AMPK signalling pathway.

Keywords: Obesity, Sheng-jiang powder, Adiponectin, Adenosine 5’-monophosphate-activated protein kinase, Pancreatic inflammatory injury

Core tip: Obesity is a risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty pancreas disease and induces pancreatic inflammatory injury. Sheng-jiang powder (SJP) can ameliorate obesity-induced pancreatic inflammatory injury; however, the specific mechanisms remain unclear. This study demonstrates that SJP may inhibit the inflammatory response, prevent pancreatic fibrosis, promote pancreatic acinar cell repair, and ultimately ameliorate obesity-induced pancreatic inflammatory injury in rats by regulating the key molecules of the AMPK signalling pathway.