Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Colchicine protects against acute pancreatitis via down-regulation of cytokine levels

Nan Zhang¹, Meng Liang², Kuo Wang¹, Tao Sun¹, Xiaoxu Ding¹, Yan Zhou¹, Zhanbiao Yu¹

¹Department of Critical Care Medicine; ²Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071000, China.

For correspondence:-

Accepted: 20 November 2019 Published: 31 December 2019

Citation: Zhang N, Liang M, Wang K, Sun T, Ding X, Zhou Y, et al. Colchicine protects against acute pancreatitis via down-regulation of cytokine levels. Trop J Pharm Res 2019; 18(12):2551-2556 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v18i12.13

© 2019 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effect of colchicine on acute pancreatitis (AP) in a rat model, and the molecular mechanism involved.

Methods: Acute pancreatitis (AP) was induced in rats by injection with 5 % sodium taurocholate. Changes in histology of pancreatic tissues were determined following treatment with colchicine. Serum amylase activity was measured using Automated Biochemistry Analyser.

Results: Hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining showed that colchicine prevented histopathological changes such as infiltration of interstitial leukocytes and erythrocytes, cell necrosis, oedema formation and vacuolization in the rat pancreas. Treatment of AP rats with colchicine significantly and dose-dependently decreased ascite volume in the abdominal cavity. Serum amylase activity was significantly suppressed in AP rats on treatment with 100 mg/kg colchicine. Furthermore, treatment of the AP rats with colchicine caused marked decrease in the expressions of interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor α, and upregulated expressions of IL 10 in serum. Colchicine treatment of AP rats also caused significant increase in CGRP level in the plasma.

Conclusion: Colchicine prevents pancreatic tissue damage induced by AP by down-regulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, upregulation of anti-inflammatory cytokines, and enhancing CGRP release. Therefore, colchicine may be useful for the treatment of acute pancreatitis.

Keywords: Colchicine, Acute pancreatitis, Anti-inflammation, Calcitonin, Interleukin