Combined effect of octreotide and Dachaihu decoction on treatment of severe acute pancreatitis

AIM: To investigate the combined effect of octreotide and Dachaihu decoction on the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis(SAP). METHODS: Wistar rats(n=50) were randomly divided into sham group, SAP group, octreotide group, Dachaihu decoction group and combination group. The quantity of ascites was measured. The levels of amylase, alanine aminotransferase and creatinine in the serum were examined. The morphological changes of the pancreatic tissues were observed by HE staining. The activation of NF-κB and IκBα expression were determined by Western blot. The mRNA expression with ICAM-1 and IL-1 was detected by qPCR.RESULTS: Combined treatment with octreotide and Dachaihu decoction effectively reduced the quantity of ascites and the levels of amylase, alanine aminotransferase and creatinine in the serum in SAP rats. Moreover, combined treatment significantly inhibited SAP-induced activation of NF-κB and decrease in IκBα protein expression, accompanied by a decrease in ICAM-1 and IL-1 mRNA expression. CONCLUSION: Combination of octreotide with Dachaihu decoction effectively attenuates SAP by inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway and ICAM-1 and IL-1 expression.