Acute pancreatitis is a common kind of acute abdominal disease. The management of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a challenge because of its high morbidity, which is due to systemic inflammatory response syndrome and multiorgan dysfunction syndrome. Therefore, it is important to explore therapies to control the disease's progression. A series of in vivo and in vitro experiments has demonstrated that resveratrol-an extract from Chinese herbs, grapes, and many plants-exhibits a wide range of biological and pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidation, and chemopreventive effects, as well as the inhibition of platelet aggregation, which could benefit the treatment of SAP. Here, we examine the possible mechanism of resveratrol in treating the progression of SAP. Resveratrol could inhibit the production and progression of SAP through down-regulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, improving microcirculation, modulating cell apoptosis, and blocking calcium overload. We propose that resveratrol has a potentially therapeutic effect on the progression of SAP.
© 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.