Dynamic Changes in Serum Cytokine Profile in Rats with Severe Acute Pancreatitis

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Research
• Gastroenterology
• Immunology

Background:

• Previous studies on severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) often examined single timepoints, limiting understanding of dynamic cytokine changes.
• The relationship between evolving cytokine profiles and SAP progression remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the dynamic changes in cytokine expression during SAP progression.
• To analyze the correlation between cytokine expression patterns and disease severity over time.
• To explore cytokine-cytokine interactions and signaling pathways in SAP.

Main Methods:

• Seventy rats were divided into control, sham operation, and SAP groups.
• SAP was induced using retrograde injection of sodium taurocholate into the pancreatic bile duct.
• Cytokine expression was monitored using a cytokine microarray detecting 90 cytokines at multiple timepoints (3-15 h).
• Disease progression was assessed via survival rates, ascites fluid, histopathology, and serum amylase activity.

Main Results:

• Mortality, ascites, histopathology, and serum amylase in SAP rats showed time-dependent increases.
• A significant number of cytokines (69) were altered at various timepoints post-SAP induction.
• Inflammatory cytokines peaked at 6-12 hours and subsequently decreased, while others remained elevated.

Conclusions:

• Cytokine expression trends in SAP rats did not consistently mirror disease progression.
• Cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions and MAPK signaling pathways involved dominant, persistently upregulated cytokines throughout SAP.