Modified Xiaochaihu decoction () promotes collagen degradation and inhibits pancreatic fibrosis in chronic pancreatitis rats.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Modified Xiaochaihu Decoction (MXD, ) on collagen degradation in rats with chronic pancreatitis (CP).

METHODS: Rats were injected dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC, 7 mg/kg of body weight) into the right caudal vein to induce CP model. Thirty heallhy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups by a random number table: the control, the model and the treatment groups. Rats of treatment group were administered MXD (10 g/kg of body weight) orally once daily starting from the day post-model establishment. Pancreatic tissues were harvested after 28-day feeding and fibrosis was evaluated by picro-sirius red staining. The contents of collagen type I and III were detected using enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1) was analyzed by Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTS: The fifi brosis scoring of pancreatic tissues, the concentrations of collagen type I and III, the expression levels of MMP13 and TIMP1 proteins and mRNA in the model group were all increased compared with the control group (P<0.05). After treatment with MXD, the fifi brosis scoring of pancreatic tissues, the concentrations of collagen type I and III, the expression levels of MMP13 proteins and mRNA in the teatment group were all decreased compared with the model group (P<0.05), but there were no signififi cant differences in the expression levels of TIMP1 proteins and mRNA (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: MXD could promote collagen degradation and reverse pancreatic fifi brosis in CP rats via a mechanism involve up-regulation of MMP13 expression.