Protective effects of rhubarb on experimental severe acute pancreatitis

Table 1 Effect of rhubarb on morphologic alterations in pancreas in rats with sever acute pancreatitis

Group	n	Edema	Hemorrhage	Vacuolization	Necrosis	PMN infiltration
Control	6	0	0	0	0	0
Rhubarb	6	0	0	0	0	0
Cerulein + Stress	9	2-3 (2.8 ± 0.2)	2-3 (2.8 ± 0.2)	2-3 (2.7 ± 0.2)	2-3 (2.5 ± 0.2)	2-3 (2.2 ± 0.2)
Cerulein + Stress + Rhubarb 75 mg	6	3 (3.0 ± 0)	1(1.0 ± 0)	2-3 (2.2 ± 0.2)	1-2 (1.4 ± 0.2)	1-2 (1.6 ± 0.2)
Cerulein + Stress + Rhubarb 150 mg	7	2-3 (2.8 ± 0.2)	1-2(1.0 ± 0.3)a	1-3 (1.8 ± 0.3)a	1-2 (1.2 ± 0.2)b	1-2 (1.8 ± 0.2)b

Values are expressed as the range of the scores, with the mean ± SD. The nonparametric test (Kruskal-Wallis method) showed

^aP < 0.05,

^bP < 0.01 vs Cn + St group; and no significant difference in edema.

Table 2 Effect of rhubarb on the changes of pancreatic wet weight, serum amylase activity, pancreatic blood flow

Group	n	Pancreatic wet weight (g/kg)	Serum amylase activity (U/L)	Pancreatic blood flow (mL/min/100 g)
Control	6	3.29 ± 0.12	81 360 ± 2 200	242 ± 17
Rhubarb	6	3.34 ± 0.14	85 370 ± 2 910	238 ± 18
Cerulein + Stress	9	11.60 ± 0.61b	458 490 ± 43 100b	93 ± 5b
Cerulein + Stress + Rhubarb 75 mg	6	10.99 ± 0.91b	321 710 ± 89 800b	113 ± 12a
Cerulein+Stress + Rhubarb 150 mg	7	10.65 ± 0.77b	298 650 ± 36 450ad	135 ± 12ad

^aP < 0.05,

^bP < 0.01 vs control group; ^cP < 0.05,

^dP < 0.01 vs Cn + St group.

Table 3 Effect of rhubarb and Sandostatin on the exocrine function of pancreatitis in rats

Group	n	Volume (μL/30 min)	Bicarbonate (mmol/L)	Protein (mg/mL)	Amylase (U/L)
Control	6	697.30 ± 22.13	139.50 ± 38.98	12.33 ± 1.65	157 580 ± 14 038
Rhubarb	6	704.58 ± 29.52	108.00 ± 38.31	12.87 ± 2.52	154 000 ± 18 717
Sandostatin	6	685.90 ± 36.49	123.00 ± 35.04	13.21 ± 0.92	156 916 ± 8 540
Cerulein + Stress	6	192.22 ± 28.83b	130.67 ± 41.69	3.64 ± 0.98b	69 440 ± 13 449b
Rhubarb + Cerulein + Stress	6	177.33 ± 46.70b	403.00 ± 68.59bd	2.62 ± 0.65b	3 768 ± 990bd
Sandostatin + Cerulein + Stress	6	216.60 ± 19.08b	134.83 ± 59.64	3.18 ± 0.75b	4 285 ± 3 148bd

^aP < 0.05,

^bP < 0.01 vs control group; ^cP < 0.05,

^dP < 0.01 vs Cn + St group.