Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Da-Cheng-Qi decoction in the liver of rats with severe acute pancreatitis

Figure 1 Liver distribution of the ten major components of Da-Cheng-Qi decoction in rats with severe acute pancreatitis. Rats (n = 6 per group) were orally administered with different dosages of Da-Cheng-Qi decoction (DCQD) (0.6 g/mL for the low-dose group, 1.2 g/mL for the medium-dose group, and 2.4 g/mL for the high-dose group) 2 h after operation. After 24 h, the livers were collected to examine the DCQD component concentrations using a sensitive HPLC-MS/MS method. The results are represented as the mean ± SD.

Figure 2 Effect of different dosages of Da-Cheng-Qi decoction on inflammatory mediators in liver tissues from rats with severe acute pancreatitis. Rats (n = 6 per group) were orally administered with different doses of Da-Cheng-Qi decoction (DCQD) (6 g/kg for the LDG, 12 g/kg for the MDG, and 24 g/kg for the HDG) 2 h after operation. After 24 h, the livers were collected to examine pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6 and TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-4 and IL-10) levels. The inflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA. The results are represented as the mean ± SD. ^aP < 0.05 vs SOG and ^bP < 0.05 vs MG. SOG: Sham operation group; MG: Model group; LDG: Low-dose group; MDG: Medium-dose group; HDG: High-dose group.

Figure 3 Da-Cheng-Qi decoction alleviates pancreas and liver damages in rats with severe acute pancreatitis. Rats (n = 6 per group) were orally administered with different doses of Da-Cheng-Qi decoction (DCQD) (6 g/kg for the LDG, 12 g/kg for the MDG, and 24 g/kg for the HDG) 2 h after operation. At 24 h after operation, pancreas and liver samples were collected for pathological analysis and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE); A: Pathological pictures of the pancreas (the left) and liver tissues (the right, HE, × 200); B: Pathological scores for the pancreas and liver damages. The results are represented as the mean ± SD. ^aP < 0.05 vs SOG and ^bP < 0.05 vs MG. SOG: Sham operation group; MG: Model group; LDG: Low-dose group; MDG: Medium-dose group; HDG: High-dose group.

Figure 4 Da-Cheng-Qi decoction has no obvious effect on the alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase levels in serum in rats with severe acute pancreatitis. Rats (n = 6 per group) were orally administered with different doses of Da-Cheng-Qi decoction (DCQD) (24 g/kg for the HDG) 2 h after operation. At 24 h after administration, blood samples were collected for detection. The results are represented as the mean ± SD. ^aP < 0.05 vs SOG. SOG: The sham operation group; MG: Model group; HDG: High-dose group; ALT: Alanine transaminase; AST: Aspartate transaminase.