Sinisan, a traditional Chinese medicine, attenuates experimental chronic pancreatitis induced by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid in rats

Sinisan, a traditional Chinese medicine, is effective for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. In this study, we investigated the potential protective role of Sinisan against chronic pancreatitis (CP) in rats. CP was induced in rats by intrapancreatic injection of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). Rats were randomly divided into a sham group, a TNBS-induced CP group and a Sinisan-treated group. Serum amylase and histological score were used to evaluate the severity of disease. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) were also measured in the three groups. Mechanical allodynia was measured with von Frey filaments. In addition, the protein levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) were measured in pancreatic tissues. Administration of Sinisan significantly decreased the severity of CP. In the Sinisan-treated group, serum amylase, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, COX-2 and alpha-SMA levels were lower and the level of IL-10 was upregulated compared with the TNBS-induced CP group. Furthermore, treatment with Sinisan significantly, though not completely, attenuated the allodynia. Simultaneously NGF expression was also significantly downregulated in the Sinisan-treated group compared with the TNBS-induced CP group. Sinisan could be an effective treatment modality for CP via its anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic and analgesic properties. It may be a promising drug candidate for the treatment of patients with CP.