Protective effects of Baicalin injection on severe acute pancreatitis through regulating follistatin-like-1 signaling pathway by down-regulating miR-429 expression in mice

Abstract In China, Scutellaria is used for treating inflammatory-related diseases. Baicalin is the main active component of Scutellaria and has protective effects on acute pancreatitis. However, the mechanism of Baicalin is still unclear. In this study, the protective effects of baicalin on acute pancreatitis induced by taurocholate and its mechanism are investigated. In this study, mice were randomly divided into three groups: sham operation, model, and treatment groups. Acute pancreatitis in mice was induced by intraperitoneal injection of taurocholate (35 mg/kg). The treatment group was given baicalin (100 mg/kg) 2 h before acute pancreatitis induction. The mRNA expression levels of miR-429, nuclear factor kappa B65(NF-kB65), toll-like receptor 4(TLR4), TNF receptor associated factor6 (TRAF6), NF-kappa-B inhibitor(IkB), Follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1), and interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK) in the liver tissues 24 h after intraperitoneal injection were detected by RT-PCR. Then, the expression levels of NF-kB65, p-NF-κB65, TLR4, TRAF6, IkB, FSTL1, IRAK, p- IRAK, and p- IkB-а proteins were detected by Western blot. IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1 ß in plasma were measured by ELISA, and histopathological changes in the pancreases of the mice were observed. The results showed that after baicalin treatment, miR-429 expression in the pancreatic tissues and the expression levels of NF-kB65, TLR4, TRAF6, p-IkB-а, FSTL1, and p-IRAK decreased. Similarly, pancreatic myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and the plasma levels of IL-6, TNF-а, IL-12, IL-1ß1, endotoxin, serum amylase, and lipase were reduced. Thus, the pancreatic injury induced by taurocholate was alleviated. The present study indicates that pretreatment with Baicalin can alleviate acute pancreatic injury induced by taurocholate in mice. The mechanism may be associated with the decreased miR-429 expression, reduced FSTL1 signaling pathway activity, TLR4 and TLR4/MyD88 signaling pathway inhibition, and reduced pancreatic inflammation. FSTL1 is the regulatory target for miR-429

[Comparison of sedative effect of dexmedetomidine and midazolam for post-operative patients undergoing mechanical ventilation in surgical intensive care unit].

OBJECTIVE: To study sedative effect and safety of dexmedetomidine and midazolam for post-operative patients undergoing mechanical ventilation(MV) in surgical intensive care unit(SICU). METHODS: Two hundred cases of post-operative patients undergoing MV with tracheal intubation in SICU were enrolled and divided into two groups by random numerical table method. They were treated either with midazolam (98 cases) or dexmedetomidine (102 cases). In both groups fentanyl was given intravenously continually for analgesia. The amount of fentanyl was adjusted according to Prince-Henry analgesic score to keep on 1-2 analgesic score; the dose of sedation was regulated by Riker sedative and restless score (SAS) maintain 2-4 sedative score. During the course, parameters of the ventilator, electrocardiogram, heart rate(HR), blood pressure, respiratory rate, pulse oxygen saturation (SpO(2)), blood gas analysis were observed and registered continuously. The amount of the drug, duration of MV, and incidence of side-effects such as hypotension, bradycardia, delirium, nausea, etc. were recorded in two groups. RESULTS: In all the patients in two groups taking dexmedetomidine or midazolam expected sedative and analgesia scores were obtained. In the group with dexmedetomidine, the patients were aroused easier with adequate sedation, and when compared with the group with midazolam, dose of fentanyl (µg× kg(-1)×h(-1) ) was significantly smaller (0.23±0.13 vs. 0.41±0.12, P<0.01), duration of MV (hours) was clearly shorter (7.20±6.29 vs. 12.44±8.96, P<0.01), the rates of hypotension (27.45% vs. 11.22%) and bradycardia (24.51% vs. 10.20%) were significantly higher (both P<0.05), the rate of delirium was clearly lower (3.92% vs. 31.63%, P<0.01), the rate of nausea showed a slight decrease (9.80% vs. 11.22%, P>0.05). The patients in the group with dexmedetomidine were divided into two subgroups of hypotension and non-hypotension. The quantity of blood loss during operation (ml/kg), amount of fluid infusion during operation (ml× kg(-1)×h(-1) ), blood lactic acid concentration (mmol/L) on the day of surgical operation and the 1st day post-operative showed no significant difference between these subgroups (quantity of blood loss on the day of surgical operation: 12.79±12.13 vs. 13.52±11.62; amount of fluid infusion during surgical operation: 11.91±4.59 vs. 13.09±7.05;blood lactic acid concentration on the day of operation: 1.88±1.07 vs. 1.71±0.87, blood lactic acid concentration on the 1st day post-operative:1.43±0.98 vs. 1.37±0.79, all P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Sedative effect of dexmedetomidine is satisfactory for patients undergoing MV after operation, with the property of easier arousal, lower delirium rate, and it helps to shorten the duration of MV with reduction the dosage of fentanyl by 50%. However, it is necessary to enhance observation in order to prevent and control hypotension and bradycardia.

[Security evaluation of bupivacaine, ropivacaine combined with fentanyl in postoperative continuous epidural analgesia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects, side-effects and security of bupivacaine, ropivacaine combined with fentanyl in postoperative continuous epidural analgesia. METHODS: A total of 1 600 postoperative continuous epidural analgesia patients receiving different agents in SICU were divided into two groups: 0.1% bupivacaine +5 microg/ml fentanyl group (group B, n = 920) and 0.2% ropivacaine +2 microg/ml fentanyl group (group R, n = 680). The effects (visual analog-scale score and content to analgesia), side effects were analyzed retrospectively in the two groups. RESULTS: Compared with group B, patients in group R had higher analgesia contentment (P < 0.05), but no difference in visual analog-scale score was found in the two groups. The incidences of urinary retention, nausea and vomiting, skin itching in group B were significantly higher than those in group R (P < 0.05). In each group, patients over sixty had higher ratio of hypotension than those under sixty (P < 0.05); The female patients had a higher incidence of nausea and vomiting than male patients (P < 0.05); The incidence of debility and numbness of lower limbs in patients with lumbar segments epidural analgesia was higher than those with thoracic analgesia (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: 0.1% bupivacaine +5 microg/ml fentanyl and 0.2% ropivacaine +2 microg/ml fentanyl can provide adequate pain relief in postoperative continuous epidural analgesia, and 0.2% ropivacaine +2 microg/ml fentanyl comes with less side effects. The incidence of complication is related with analgesics, age, gender and the position of epidural puncture.