Intrapulmonary gene expression of inflammatory mediators in rats with acute necrotizing pancreatitis

Abstract

Objective To investigate intrapulmonary expression of IL-6,TNF-α and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) mRNA and relationship between the gene expression of inflammatory mediators and lung injury in acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP). Methods ANP was induced with 3.5% sodium taurocholate by the method of retrograde pancreatic-injection. Animals were sacrificed at 1, 4, 12 and 24 hours after induction of pancreatitis, lntrapulmonary IL-6, TNF-α and ICAM-1 and mR-NA expression was assayed by reverse transcription-PCR. The serum amylases and lipases levels,pancreatic and pulmonary wet/dry weight ratio, histologic grading of ANP and lung injury were deter-mined. Results Taurocholate pancreatitis showed alveolar septal thickening and leucocyte infiltration in the lung. There was intrapulmonary overexpression of the IL-6,TNF-α and ICAM-1 mRNA at 1hour and persisted up to 12-24 hours with the increase of serum amylases and lipases levels after induc-tion of pancreatitis. Score of the lung injury was correlated well with expression of TNF-a and ICAM-1 mRNA (r=0.93, P<0.05). Pulmonary wet/dry weight ratio was correlated with intrapulmonary expression of the IL-6, TNF-α and ICAM-1 mRNA (r=0.70,P<0.05). Conclusion The expression of IL-6, TNF-u and ICAM-lmRNA is related to the production of lung injury in ANP. Severity of lung injury can be early assessed by the overexpression of IL-6, TNF-α and ICAM-lmRNA in ANP. Key words: Pancreatitis, Animal model; Lung injury; IL-6; TNF-α; Intercellular adhesion moleeule-1; Gene expression