Basic Research
Copyright ©2008 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Apr 21, 2008; 14(15): 2343-2348
Published online Apr 21, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.2343
Effect of Chaiqinchengqi decoction on sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase mRNA expression of pancreatic tissues in acute pancreatitis rats
Ping Xue, Li-Hui Deng, Zhao-Da Zhang, Xiao-Nan Yang, Qing Xia, Da-Kai Xiang, Lei Huang, Mei-Hua Wan
Ping Xue, Li-Hui Deng, Xiao-Nan Yang, Qing Xia, Da-Kai Xiang, Lei Huang, Mei-Hua Wan, Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Zhao-Da Zhang, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Author contributions: Xue P, Deng LH, Zhang ZD, Yang XN and Xia Q designed the research; Xue P, Deng LH, Xiang DK, Huang L and Wan MH performed the research; Xue P and Yang XN provided analytic tools and Xue P, Deng LH and Xia Q wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Professor Qing Xia, Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China. xiaqing@medmail.com.cn
Telephone: +86-28-85423373
Fax: +86-28-85423028
Received: December 25, 2007
Revised: February 29, 2008
Published online: April 21, 2008
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the effect of Chaiqinchengqi decoction (CQCQD) on sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) mRNA expression of pancreatic tissues in acute pancreatitis (AP) rats.

METHODS: Thirty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomized into control group, AP group and CQCQD group (n = 3 × 10). The rats in the CQCQD group were intragastrically administered with CQCQD (10 mL/kg every 2 h) after induction of AP by intraperitoneal injection of caerulein (50 &mgr;g/kg.h × 5) within 4 h. At 6 h after the induction of AP model, pancreatic tissues were collected for the pathological observation, mRNA extraction for determination of SERCA1 and SERCA2 mRNA expression or pancreatic acinar cell isolation for measurement of fluorescence intensity (FI) of intracellular calcium ion concentration [Ca2+]i.

RESULTS: There was no expression of pancreatic SERCA1 mRNA in the control group and the AP group. The expression of pancreatic SERCA2 mRNA in the AP group was down-regulated (expression ratio = 0.536; P = 0.001) compared with the control group, while that in the CQCQD group was up-regulated (expression ratio = 2.00; P = 0.012) compared with AP group. The FI of intracellular [Ca2+] of pancreatic acinar cells in the AP group (138.2 ± 23.1) was higher than the C group (111.0 ± 18.4) and the CQCQD group (118.7 ± 15.2 ) (P < 0.05) and the pancreatic pathological score in the CQCQD group was lower than that in the AP group (5.7 ± 1.9 vs 9.2 ± 2.7, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: CQCQD can up-regulate the expression of SERCA2 mRNA of pancreatic tissues, reduce intracellular calcium overload and relieve pancreatic tissue lesions.

Keywords: Chaiqinchengqi decoction, Pancreatitis, Calcium overload, Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2 +-ATPase