Objective: Baicalin reduces the severity of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in a rat model. This study was carried out to examine the effect of baicalin on TNF-alpha mRNA, caspase-3 and P-selectin protein expression in the pancreas of rats with SAP.
Methods: Rats with SAP were randomly assigned to untreated, baicalin-treated, octreotide-treated and sham-operated group. The TNF-alpha mRNA expression level, caspase-3 and P-selectin protein expression levels of pancreatic tissue were measured 3, 6 and 12 hours after operation.
Results: The caspase-3 protein expression level was significantly higher in the treated groups than that in the untreated group at 3 hours (p <0.01). P-selectin protein expression level in pancreas of the treated groups was significantly lower than that of the untreated group (p <0.05 or <0.01). TNF-alpha mRNA expression level in pancreas decreased in baicalintreated group while untreated group increased at different time points (p <0.05).
Conclusion: Baicalin increases caspase-3 expression and inhibits TNF-alpha mRNA and P-selectin protein expression in pancreatic tissue of SAP rats.