Naringin Attenuated Acute Lung Injury in Rat Model with Acute Pancreatitis in Pregnancy through Inactivation of p38 MAPK Pathway

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis in pregnancy can cause fetal lung injury. Naringin exhibits ant-inflammation effect against pulmonary injuries. However, whether naringin can alleviate lung injury associated with acute pancreatitis in pregnancy has not been elucidated. Establishment of acute pancreatitis in pregnancy model by sodium taurocholate showed that sodium taurocholate induced obvious pathological changes in pancreas. Histopathological changes in lungs were also aggravated post sodium taurocholate treatment with enhanced inflammation of neutrophils, thickened alveolar walls and alveolus collapse. Diagnostic blood tests for acute pancreatitis in pregnancy indicated that serum amylase and lipase were increased post sodium taurocholate treatment. Sodium taurocholate-induced rats were intragastrically administered with naringin to investigate the protective effect of naringin on acute lung injury induced by acute pancreatitis in pregnancy. Results revealed that administration of naringin could attenuate pathological changes in pancreas and lungs and decrease amylase and lipase. Moreover, naringin treatment attenuated sodium taurocholate-induced increase in inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6/1β in lungs. Sodium taurocholate-induced increase in phosphorylation of p38 was also reduced post naringin treatment. In conclusion, naringin could ameliorate acute lung injury and inflammation induced by acute pancreatitis in pregnancy by inhibiting the p38 pathway.