In vitro effects of emodin on peritoneal macrophages that express membrane-bound CD14 protein in a rat model of severe acute pancreatitis/systemic inflammatory response syndrome

Emodin is the main active constituent of rhubarb and is often used in Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). The present study aimed to determine the in vitro effects of emodin on the expression of membrane-bound cluster of differentiation 14 (mCD14) protein in peritoneal macrophages (pM phi s). The severe acute pancreatitis (SAP)/SIRS model was established in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats via retrograde injection of 1.5% sodium deoxycholate into the common biliopancreatic duct. The 40 SD rats were randomly divided into the sham-operated (n=10) group (SO) and the model group (n=30). After 24 h, pM phi s were harvested and the model group was randomly divided into three subgroups (n=10 per group), the 5 g/ml emodin group (EMO), the 0.1 mol/ml dexamethasone group (DEX) and the SIRS/SAP group (SI). Treatment agents were administered following macrophage adhesion for 24 h. Compared with that of the SO group, the SI group showed significantly increased pathological changes (P<0.01). Compared with that of the SO group, mCD14 expression in pM phi s was significantly decreased in the SI group (P<0.01). Additionally, compared with that of the SI group, mCD14 expression in pM phi s was significantly increased in the EMO group (P<0.01) and in the DEX group (P<0.01). Compared with that of the DEX group, mCD14 expression in pM phi s was significantly increased in the EMO group (25.60 +/- 2.79 vs. 20.87 +/- 1.99; P<0.01). The pathological changes observed in the pancreas of rats in the model groups were more severe than that of the SO group. Moreover, mCD14 expression levels in pM phi s were significantly decreased in the SI group. The pathological changes of each intervention group improved to various degrees, particularly in the EMO group.