Effects of Chai-Qin-Cheng-Qi decoction (柴芩承气汤) on acute pancreatitis-associated lung injury in mice with acute necrotizing pancreatitis

Objective To investigate the effects of Chai-Qin-Cheng-Qi Decoction (柴芩承气汤, CQCQD) on acute pancreatitis-associated lung injury in mice with acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP). Methods Thirty healthy mice were randomly divided into three groups: an ANP group (ANP+placebo, n =10); a treatment group (ANP+CQCQD, n =10); and a control group (normal mice+placebo, n =10). ANP was induced by intraperitoneal injection with 8% L-arginine (4 μg/kg), and the control group was injected with normal saline. The treatment group received CQCQD (20 mL/kg), and the ANP and control groups received placebo (sucrose and starch) intragastrically at 2 h intervals. After the third intragastric administration, blood, pancreatic tissues and right lung tissues were collected for measurement of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in lung tissue was determined by Western blot analysis. Pathological changes of pancreatic tissue and lung tissue were examined. Results Serum IL-6 was significantly higher in the ANP group compared with the control and the treatment groups (1589.63±377.28 vs. 927.46±210.42 pg/mL, P <0.05, and 1589.63±377.28 vs . 1107.73±351.62 pg/mL, P <0.05, respectively). The IL-10 concentration was significantly lower in the ANP group compared with the treatment group (920.64±101.68 vs. 1177.84±201.72 pg/mL, P <0.05), but no signififi cant difference was found between the ANP and control groups and between the treatment and control groups. The expression level of HSP70 in the ANP and control groups was signififi cantly lower than in the treatment group (0.93±0.03 vs . 1.42±0.21, P <0.01, and 0.81±0.09 vs . 1.42±0.21, P <0.01, respectively). There was no signififi cant difference in HSP70 levels between the ANP and control groups. Histological scores of pancreatic and lung tissue were significantly decreased in the treatment group compared with the ANP groups (4.50±0.54 vs . 6.20±1.65, P <0.05, and 3.00±0.63 vs . 3.87±0.83, P <0.05, respectively). Conclusions The incidence of acute pancreatitisassociated lung injury in ANP mice correlates positively with serum IL-6 concentration. CQCQD may inhibit IL-6 induction and increase IL-10 concentration and HSP70 expression, effectively reducing lung injury.