Baicalin Has Potential To Be A Therapeutic Tool For Severe Acute Pancreatitis

Main Category: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry;  Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine
Article Date: 18 Oct 2007 - 5:00 PDT

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'Qingyitang', a representative prescription of Traditional Chinese Medicine for SAP was widely used in the oriental countries but its real pharmacological mechanisms of protective effects on SAP have not been investigated until now. Baicalin, the most effective monomer of Baical skullcap root (an essential Traditional Chinese Medicine of 'Qingyitang'), is proven to have protective effects on renal injury of rats with SAP. The research was recently published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology because of its great significance for SAP.

It has been confirmed that Baicalin has anti-bacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities in vitro. It can also inhibit platelet aggregation and eliminate oxygen-free radicals. Animal experiments show that Baicalin could reduce the generation of endotoxin. In addition, Baicalin has a potent effect in inhibiting pancreatin which is the initial metabolite of Baicalin. All these pharmacologic actions can inhibit SAP during its multiple stages.

The research team led by Dr. Zhang Xiping from the first people's hospital of Hangzhou and second affiliated hospital of Zhejiang university spent more than five years working with experimental SAP in rats by the intravenous injection of Baicalin treatment. Using a large dose of baicalin treatment, the rats' survival rate, renal function indexes, renal gross changes and lightmicroscopic changes and its severity scores were greatly improved. The article concluded that the therapeutic mechanisms might be related to the inhibition of inflammatory mediators and induction of renal cells apoptosis by the application of tissue microarray techniques.

Compared with the Octreotide, the most effective drug in the treatment of SAP, the large dose Baicalin was as effective in terms of reduction of renal pathological alterations in rats with SAP. Octreotide, however, presents difficulties especially in remote areas with poor economy as it is expensive, has a short half-life and inconvenient administration. Baicalin is cheaper, has extensive routes of administration and preparation, multiple pharmacologic actions and precise therapeutic effects.

In conclusion, Baicalin might be a promising therapeutic medicine in the future treatment of SAP.

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Reference: Zhang XP, Tian H, Lai YH, Chen L, Zhang L, Cheng QH, Yan W, Li Y, Li QY, He Q, Wang F.
Protective effects and mechanisms of Baicalin and Octreotide on renal injury of rats with severe acute pancreatitis.
World J Gastroenterol 2007; 13(38): 5079-5089

Correspondence to: Xi-ping Zhang, MD, Department of General Surgery, Hangzhou First People's Hospital,261 Huansha Road. Hangzhou 310006, Zhejiang province, China.

About World Journal of Gastroenterology
World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG), a leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, has established a reputation for publishing first class research on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, colorectal cancer, and H pylori infection for providing a forum for both clinicians and scientists. WJG has been indexed and abstracted in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch) and Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Index Medicus, MEDLINE and PubMed, Chemical Abstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Abstracts Journals, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CAB Abstracts and Global Health. ISI JCR 2003-2000 IF: 3.318, 2.532, 1.445 and 0.993. WJG is a weekly journal published by WJG Press. The publication dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of every month. The WJG is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30224801 and No. 30424812, and was founded with the name of China National Journal of New Gastroenterology on October 1, 1995, and renamed WJG on January 25, 1998.

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Source: You-De Chang
World Journal of Gastroenterology

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