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Published on: June 28, 2021
Vitamin E alters inflammatory gene expression in alcoholic chronic pancreatitis
Thaís Helena Monteiro1, Camila Siqueira Silva, Livia Maria Cordeiro Simões Ambrosio
1Division of Nutrition, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
Objective:
To evaluate the effect of vitamin E supplementation on pancreatic gene expression of inflammatory markers in rats with alcoholic chronic pancreatitis.
Methods:
Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups: control (1), alcoholic chronic pancreatitis without (2) and with (3) vitamin E supplementation. Pancreatitis was induced by a liquid diet containing ethanol, cyclosporin A and cerulein. α-tocopherol content in plasma and liver and pancreas histopathology were analyzed. Gene expression of inflammatory biomarkers was analyzed by the quantitative real-time PCR technique.
Results:
The animals that received vitamin E supplementation had higher α-tocopherol amounts in plasma and liver. The pancreas in Group 1 showed normal histology, whereas in Groups 2 and 3, mild to moderate tissue destruction foci and mononuclear cell infiltration were detected. Real-time PCR analysis showed an increased expression of all genes in Groups 2 and 3 compared to Group 1. Vitamin E supplementation decreased the transcript number of 5 genes (α-SMA, COX-2, IL-6, MIP-3α and TNF-α) and increased the transcript number of 1 gene (Pap).
Conclusion:
Vitamin E supplementation had anti-inflammatory and beneficial effects on the pancreatic gene expression of some inflammatory biomarkers in rats with alcoholic chronic pancreatitis, confirming its participation in the inflammatory response mechanisms in the pancreas.
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Assessment:
