Effect of Danshen on apoptosis and NF-κB protein expression of the intestinal mucosa of rats with severe acute pancreatitis or obstructive jaundice

BACKGROUND: Intestinal mucosa injury in cases of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) or obstructive jaundice (OJ) is one of the main reasons for the accelerated aggravation of these diseases. Besides being an organ to digest and absorb nutrients, the intestine is also a unique immune organ. When SAP and OJ develop, the destruction of the intestinal mucosa barrier is an important contributing factor for the development of bacterial translocation, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. It is important to protect the intestinal mucosa in the therapy for SAP and OJ. In this study, we determined the effect of Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae (Danshen) injection on apoptosis and NF-kappa B P65 protein expression in the intestinal mucosa of rats with SAP or OJ, and explored the protective mechanism of Danshen in their mucosa. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the SAP and OJ experiments. These rats were randomly divided into sham-operated, model control, and treated groups. At various times after operation, the mortality rates were calculated. Subsequently, the rats were killed to assess the pathological changes, the expression levels of Bax and NF-kappa B proteins, and the apoptosis indices in the intestinal mucosa. RESULTS: Compared to the corresponding model control group, the number of SAP or OJ rats that died in the treated group decreased but showed no statistically significant difference. At all time points after operation, there was no significant difference between the treated and model control groups in the staining intensity as well as the product of staining intensity and positive staining rate of Bax protein in the intestinal mucosa of SAP and OJ rats. At 3 hours after operation, the apoptosis index of the intestinal mucosa of SAP rats in the treated group was lower than that in the model control group (P<0.01). At 12 hours after operation in SAP rats and 28 days after operation in OJ rats, the staining intensity as well as the product of staining intensity and positive staining rate of NF-kappa B protein of the intestinal mucosa in the treated group were lower than those in the model control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Danshen exerts protective effects on the intestinal mucosa of SAP and OJ rats perhaps by inhibiting apoptosis and down-regulating NF-kappa B protein.