Published online Nov 28, 2016. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i44.9784
Peer-review started: July 4, 2016
First decision: August 29, 2016
Revised: September 13, 2016
Accepted: October 10, 2016
Article in press: October 10, 2016
Published online: November 28, 2016
To determine the effects of ω-3 fatty acids (ω-3FA) on the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor κB p56 (NF-κBp56) signal pathway in the lungs of rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).
A total of 56 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, SAP-saline group, SAP-soybean oil group and SAP-ω-3FA group. SAP was induced by the retrograde infusion of sodium taurocholate into the pancreatic duct. The expression of TLR4 and NF-κBp56 in the lungs was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. The levels of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the lungs were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
The expression of TLR4 and NF-κBp56 in lungs and of inflammatory cytokines in serum significantly increased in the SAP group compared with the control group (P < 0.05), but was significantly decreased in the ω-3FA group compared with the soybean oil group at 12 and 24 h (P < 0.05).
During the initial stage of SAP, ω-3FA can efficiently lower the inflammatory response and reduce lung injury by triggering the TLR4/NF-κBp56 signal pathway.
Core tip: There is no report about the correlation between ω-3 fatty acids and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression in lungs of animals with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). In this study, we investigated the effects of ω-3 fatty acids (ω-3FA) on TLR4 and nuclear factor κB p56 (NF-κBp56) in lungs of rats with SAP and the levels of cytokines in serum to examine the effects of ω-3FA on TLR4 and NF-κBp56 of lungs in rats with SAP.