Protective effects of grape polyphenol on pancreatic tissues of mice with caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis

AIM:To investigate the effects of grape polyphenol (GP) on caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis (AP) in mice. METHODS:Two-month-old female mice of ICR strains (n=21) were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal control (NC) group, AP group, and GP-treated AP group. Before AP induction, the mice in GP-treated AP group were continuously administrated with 1.5 g/kg GP aqueous solution by gavage for 7 d, while those in NC group and AP group were treated with saline as a vehicle control. On the 7th day, the mice in AP group and GP-treated AP group were intraperitoneally injected with caerulein (50 μg/kg) in 1 h interval for 7 serial injections in total. The mice in NC group were treated with saline according to the same procedure in experimental group. All the mice were sacrificed 24 h after AP induction, and the pancreatic tissues and lung tissues were harvested for further investigation of the pathological changes, macrophages infiltration, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and expression of inflammatory and oxidative stress factors. RESULTS:Compared with AP group, the mice in GP-treated AP group showed milder morphological changes and lower pathological scores, including the scores of edema, inflammation and vacuolization (P<0.05), but the necrosis scores and total scores showed no statistical difference between these 2 groups. Besides, the mice in GP-treated AP group had fewer macrophage infiltration, lower lung MPO activity (P<0.01), and lower expression of inflammatory factors, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) (P<0.05), and oxidative stress factors, superoxide dismutase (SOD)-1, SOD-2 and NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX-2) (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Grape polyphenol has remarkable protective effect on pancreatic tissues of mice with caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis, and the mechanisms may be related to down-regulation of inflammatory and oxidative stress factors.     

Role of β-catenin in apoptosis of pancreatic acinar cells induced by cae-rulein

AIM: To study the role of β-catenin in the apoptosis of pancreatic acinar cells induced by cae-rulein. METHODS: Rat pancreatic acinar AR42J cells were treated with caerulein. The expression of β-catenin at mRNA and protein levels in the AR42J cells was determined by real-time PCR and Western blot. The β-catenin over-expression vector was transfected into AR42J cells. After treatment with caerulein, the over-expression effect was evaluated by real-time PCR and Western blot. The changes of cell viability were measured by MTT assay. The leakage rates of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and amylase (AMY) were measured by binitrophenyl hydrazine method and iodine starch colorimetry, respectively. The apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. The protein levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress protein CHOP and cleaved caspase-12 in the AR42J cells were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: The expression of β-catenin at mRNA and protein levels in the AR42J cells was decreased after treatment with caerulein (P<0.05). The expression of β-catenin in the AR42J cells was significantly increased by transfection with β-catenin over-expression vector. The viability of AR42J cells after treatment with caerulein was reduced, while the leakage rates of LDH and AMY, the apoptotic rate and the protein levels of CHOP and cleaved caspase-12 in the cells were increased (P<0.05). Over-expression of β-catenin enhanced the viability of AR42J cells after treatment with caerulein, reduced the leakage rates of LDH and AMY, and decreased the apoptotic rate and the protein levels of CHOP and cleaved caspase-12 in the AR42J cells. CONCLUSION: β-Catenin significantly inhibits the apoptosis of pancreatic acinar cells induced by caerulein. The mechanism is related to the reduction of endoplasmic reticulum stress.     

犬脂肪来源间充质干细胞对重症急性胰腺炎体外内质网应激模型的抗凋亡作用

【目的】 探究犬脂肪组织来源的间充质干细胞(cAd-MSCs)对重症急性胰腺炎(SAP)体外模型的抗凋亡作用,以期为利用干细胞治疗胰腺炎提供理论指导。【方法】 ①用Ⅰ型胶原酶消化分离cAd-MSCs,用流式细胞术鉴定其干细胞标志物CD29、CD34、CD44、CD45、CD73和CD90的表达,用成脂、成骨和成软骨分化来鉴定其多向分化潜能;②用Ⅰ型胶原酶从小鼠胰腺组织中分离胰腺腺泡细胞(PACs),用实时荧光定量PCR检测PACs及胰腺组织中胰腺导管特异性基因CK19、β-胰岛细胞特异性细胞基因Insulin-1、α-胰岛细胞特异性基因Glucagon及PAC特异性基因PTF-1α、CPA-1、AMY2B的表达;③以10、20 μg/mL脂多糖(LPS),10、100 mmol/L雨蛙肽(Caerulein)以及10 μg/mL LPS+100 mmol/L Caerulein处理PACs,不添加药物培养的细胞为对照组,培养24 h后使用CCK-8检测PACs存活率,筛选体外构建内质网应激模型的最佳处理组(即模型组,P);用CCK-8检测对照组(Naive)及模型组(P)细胞0、2、4、8、12和24 h的存活率,Western blotting检测P组细胞内质网应激相关蛋白的相对表达量;④为确定cAd-MSCs对PACs的作用方式,试验分为PAC组(仅PACs,Naive)、P组、间接共培养组(IC)、直接共培养组(构建PAC模型时与cAd-MSCs直接共培养,DC),用实时荧光定量PCR检测肿瘤坏死因子(TNF-α)基因在PACs中的表达水平;⑤在间接共培养系统中,将细胞分为空白对照组(仅PACs,Naive)、对照组(PACs与cAd-MSCs共培养,C)、P组及试验组(药物处理的PACs与cAd-MSCs细胞共培养,T),细胞培养12 h后,通过实时荧光定量PCR、Western blotting检测各组细胞内质网应激相关基因及蛋白表达水平的变化,并用TUNEL法检测各组细胞的凋亡情况。【结果】 ①分离培养的cAd-MSCs呈现成纤维样细胞形态,高表达干细胞标志物CD29、CD44、CD73及CD90,不表达CD34和CD45,且具备成脂、成骨、成软骨分化能力;②分离的原代PACs呈鹅卵石样,与胰腺组织相比较,AMY2B、CPA1、PTF1α基因的相对表达量均显著增加(P<0.05),CK19、Glucagon、Insulin-1基因的相对表达量均极显著降低(P<0.01)。③与对照组相比,10 μg/mL LPS+100 mmol/L Caerulein组细胞存活率极显著降低(P<0.01),因此选为构建内质网应激模型的最佳处理组。与对照组相比,4 h时P组PACs的细胞存活率显著降低(P<0.05),8、12、24 h均极显著降低(P<0.01);Western blotting检测结果显示,Grp78、CHOP、Caspase-12蛋白的表达水平自4 h开始均极显著增加(P<0.01)。④与Naive组相比,P组TNF-α基因的表达水平极显著增加(P<0.01);与P组相比,IC和DC组TNF-α基因表达水平均极显著降低(P<0.01),后续用间接共培养系统进行试验。⑤在间接共培养系统中,与P组相比,T组Grp78、Caspase-12和CHOP mRNA及蛋白的相对表达量均极显著降低(P<0.01)。TUNEL检测结果显示,T组阳性细胞数明显减少。【结论】 本试验成功构建SAP体外内质网应激模型,且证明cAd-MSCs对PACs内质网应激具有调控及保护作用。     

Strain difference of susceptibility to caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in mice

AIM: To study the difference of susceptibility to caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis (AP) among the mice of C57BL/6J, BALB/c and ICR strains.METHODS: Two-month-old female mice of C57BL/6J, BALB/c and ICR strains (12 mice for each strain) were divided into control group (n=6) and experimental group (n=6), respectively. The mice were intraperitoneally injected with caerulein (50 μg/ kg) in 1 h interval for 7 serial injections in total. The mice in control group were treated with saline according to the same procedure in experimental group. The blood samples were collected at 0 h, 3 h, 6 h, 9 h, 12 h and 24 h after the first injection of caerulein or saline for plasma α-amylase and lipase assays. The mice were sacrificed 24 h after AP induction, and the pancreatic tissues were harvested for further investigating the pathological changes and expression of inflammatory factors.RESULTS: After AP induction, the mice of BALB/c and ICR strains demonstrated more dramatic increase in plasma α-amylase activity and lipase activity than those of C57BL/6J mice. C57BL/6J mice showed milder morphological changes and lower expression of inflammatory factors in pancreata than those of BALB/c and ICR mice.CONCLUSION: The mice of C57BL/6J strain have less susceptibility to caerulein-induced AP than that of BALB/c and ICR mice.