[Pharmacological study on free anthraquinones compounds in rhubarb in rats with experimental acute pancreatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To verify the pharmacological hypothesis of prescriptions by studying the targeted distribution of major components in stewed rhubarb in the rat model with acute pancreatitis (AP). METHOD: Normal SD rats (control group, n = 5) and the AP model induced with intraperitoneal cerulein (model group, n = 5) were taken as the experimental objects. Rats of the two groups were orally administered with stewed rhubarb granules (20 g x kg(-1)). Their heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and pancreas were collected two hours after the administration. Such constituents as emodin, chrysophanol, physcion, rhein and aloe-emodin and their concentrations in each tissue homogenate were detected by high performance liquid chromatography-mass-mass. RESULT: Aloe-emodin and physcion in stewed rhubarb whose concentrations in liver and kidney of normal rats were higher than that in pancreatic tissues, while the distribution spectrums and concentrations of the remaining components in pancreatic tissues had no significant difference with that of other organs. The concentrations of emodin, aloe-emodin, rhein and chrysophanol in stewed rhubarb in pancreatic tissues of the AP model group were higher than that in other tissues and organs, while their concentrations in pancreatic, renal and splenic tissues were notably higher than that in the normal group. CONCLUSION: In the conditions of AP, effective components in stewed rhubarb show a targeted distribution feature in pancreas, which provides experimental basis for the pharmacological hypothesis of prescriptions.

[Effects of micron Chinese herbal Liu-He-Dan ointment on inflammation and oxidative stress in rats with acute pancreatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of micron Chinese herbal Liu-He-Dan ointment (MLHD) on inflammation and oxidative stress in rats with acute pancreatitis (AP). METHODS: Eighteen SD rats were randomized into three groups: normal group (n = 6), AP group (n = 6) and MLHD group (n = 6). The rat model of AP was induced by intra-peritoneal injection of 150 g/L L-arginine with dosage of 2.0 mg/g twice within 2 hours. As control, the normal rats were injected the same amount of saline. The MLHD was applied to the abdomen area of the AP rats in MLHD group for 72 h. The serum and pancreas of the rats were obtained. The level of amylase, TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 in serum and SOD, MDA in the pancreas were detected and quantified. RESULTS: Compared with AP group, the serum levels of amylase, TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 were significantly decreased in MLHD group (P < 0.05). And the SOD in pancreas increased significantly (P < 0.05), but a decreasing trend of MDA level in MLHD group (P > 0.05) was observed. The serum level of the pathological score of pancreas in treatment group were similar to that in the model group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Micron Liu-He-Dan ointment may have therapeutic and protective effects on AP by antioxidation and alleviating inflammatory response.