Protective effects of edaravone on experimental chronic pancreatitis induced by dibutyltin dichloride in rats

To investigate the effects of edaravone, a potent free radical scavenger, on dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC)-induced chronic pancreatitis (CP) and pancreatic fibrosis.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 16 each): control, DBTC, DBTC + edaravone, and control + edaravone. Edaravone or normal saline at a daily dose of 6 mg/kg body weight was given intraperitoneally from day 5 to day 28 after DBTC administration. On days 14 and 28, the rats were evaluated morphologically and biochemically. The expression of cytokines in pancreas TGF-β, IL-6 and TNF was detected using RT-PCR. The activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB in pancreatic tissue was evaluated by immunostaining and western-blot for NF-κB p65. α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression was also evaluated by immunostaining and western-blot to investigate the activation of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs).

Edaravone treatment improved the rats' body weight (p < 0.01) and feed intake levels (p < 0.05), improved the histological scores and alleviated the fibrosis of pancreas samples (p < 0.05), as well as markedly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in pancreatic tissue (p < 0.01 for both). The expression of cytokines TGF-β, IL-6 and TNF in pancreas of DBTC group was also down-regulated by edaravone after treatment. Edaravone inhibited the activation of NF-κB and PSCs and exhibited protective effects on pancreatic tissue damage in CP.

This antioxidant may be a promising therapeutic intervention for human CP.