Effect of resveratrol on peritoneal macrophages in rats with severe acute pancreatitis

Objective: The literature on resveratrol in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is limited though it has been widely studied in infections and trauma. The aim of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of resveratrol on inflammatory responses in a rat model of SAP. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: SAP group, resveratrol group and control group. 4.0% sodium taurocholate was injected into the pancreatic duct to induce SAP. In the resveratrol group, resveratrol (10 mg/kg) was injected through penal vein 5 min after SAP was induced. The peritoneal macrophages of the rats were collected 3, 6 and 12 h after stimulus and then incubated for 24 h. The expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in peritoneal macrophages was measured. The levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 (IL-1) and nitric oxide (NO) in culture medium of peritoneal macrophages and serum of rats were evaluated. Results: Histological examination of pancreas indicated that the damage in the SAP group was more severe than that in the resveratrol group. The expression of NF-kappa B and iNOS in peritoneal macrophages was significantly higher in the SAP group than in the resveratrol group. The concentrations of TNF-alpha, IL-1 and NO in culture medium and serum were significantly elevated in the SAP group when compared with the resveratrol group. Conclusions: The inhibiting effect on the inflammatory response and the decreased expression of TNF-alpha, IL-1 and NO in peritoneal macrophages suggest resveratrol as a novel anti-inflammatory agent for reducing the severity of SAP.