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| Ghrelin inhibits IKKβ/NF-κB activation and reduces pro-inflammatory cytokine production in pancreatic acinar AR42J cells treated with cerulein |
| Ren-Jie Chang a , b , # , Hui-Lin Wang c , # , Meng-Bin Qin d , Zhi-Hai Liang a , Jia-Ping He e , Yu-Le Wei a , Hong-Zong Fu f , Guo-Du Tang a , ∗ |
a Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
b Department of Gastroenterology, The First People’s Hospital of Nanning City, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530022, China
c Department of Chemotherapy, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
d Department of Gastroenterology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530007, China
e Department of Gastroenterology, Liuzhou General Hospital, Liuzhou 545006, China
f Department of Gastroenterology, Guangxi International Zhuang Medical Hospital, Nanning 530001, China
∗ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: tguodu02@126.com (G.-D. Tang).
# Contributed equally. |
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Abstract Background: Previous studies have provided conflicting results regarding whether the serum ghrelin concentration can reflect the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP). The present study examined the correlation between the serum ghrelin concentration and AP severity in animal models and investigated whether altered ghrelin expression in pancreatic acinar cells influences IKKβ/NF-κB signaling and pro-inflammatory cytokine production.
Methods: Mild or severe AP was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of cerulein or retrograde cholangiopancreatic duct injection of sodium taurocholate, respectively. After successful model induction, serum ghrelin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and IKKβ/NF-κB activation was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Subsequently, stable overexpression or knockdown of ghrelin in AR42J cells was achieved by lentiviral transfection. After transfected cells and control cells were treated with cerulein for 24 h, the TNF-α and IL-1β levels in the supernatants were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the expression levels of p-p65, IKKβ, and p-IKKβ were detected by Western blotting.
Results: In rat AP models, AP severity was correlated with increased IKKβ/NF-κB activation, pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and ghrelin secretion. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β as well as IKKβ/NFκB signaling activity were increased upon knockdown of ghrelin in the AP acinar cell model and decreased with ghrelin overexpression.
Conclusions: Serum ghrelin is related to the severity of AP. Ghrelin may play a protective role in the pathogenesis of AP by inhibiting the pro-inflammatory cytokines and the activation of the IKKβ/NF-κB signaling pathway.
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2021, Vol. 20 
