H2S mitigates severe acute pancreatitis through the PI3K/AKT-NF-κB pathway in vivo

Figure 1 Levels of cystathionine-γ-lyase mRNA (A) and plasma H₂S (B) in pancreatic tissue. ^aP < 0.05 vs the control; ^cP < 0.05 vs the SAP group.

Figure 2 Levels of amylase, interleukin-6, and myeloperoxidase in pancreatic tissue. A: Plasma amylase level; B: Pancretic histology (HE × 200) [1: Control (saline-injected) pancreas; 2: L-Arg-induced severe acute pancreatitis (the arrow indicates edema, destruction, histoarchitecture bleeding of the acini and the inflammatory cell infiltration); 3: Rats pre-administered PAG 50 mg/kg show more severe destruction and histoarchitecture bleeding of the acini and inflammatory cell infiltration; 4: Pretreatment with NaHS at 5 mg/kg; 5: Pretreatment with NaHS at 10 mg/kg; 6: Pretreatment with NaHS at 15 mg/kg; 7: Pretreatment with NaHS at 100 mg/kg]; C: Plasma IL-6 level; D: MPO activity in the pancreatic tissue. ^aP < 0.05 vs the control; ^cP < 0.05 vs the SAP group. PAG: Propargylglycine; MPO: Myeloperoxidase; SAP: Severe acute pancreatitis.

Figure 3 Levels of p-AKT (A), IκBα protein expression (B) and nuclear factor-κB activity in vivo (C). Western blot and EMSA analyses of the protein expression and NF-κB activity after treatment with L-Arg and NaHS or PAG and the PI₃K inhibitor wortmannin. ^aP < 0.05 vs the control; ^cP < 0.05 vs the severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) group; ^eP < 0.05 vs the 5 mg/kg NaHS + SAP group; ^gP< 0.05 vs the 100 mg/kg NaHS + SAP group.

Figure 4 Level of plasma interleukin-6 and myeloperoxidase activity in the pancreas. A: Plasma interleukin (IL)-6 level after treatment with wortmannin; B: Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in pancreatic tissue after treatment with wortmannin. ^cP < 0.05 vs the severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) group; ^eP < 0.05 vs the 5 mg/kg NaHS + SAP group; ^gP < 0.05 vs the 100 mg/kg NaHS + SAP group.

Figure 5 Survival analyses between different groups of rats. The survival rate was monitored for 10 d [P < 0.05, when severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) rats with NaHS injections were compared with SAP rats without NaHS injection, n = 10 in these groups].