Baicalein attenuates pancreatic inflammatory injury through regulating MAPK, STAT 3 and NF-κB activation

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common acute abdominal disease with local or systemic inflammatory response, caused by abnormal activation of digestive enzymes. Baicalein has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects and to attenuate the pathological changes of AP. The aim of the research was to investigate the effects of baicalein on caerulein induced pancreatitis, and to elucidate the putative underlying mechanism. In this study, the therapeutic potential of baicalein and its mechanism were investigated in a caerulein-induced AP in vivo and in vitro model. The results indicate that baicalein treatment alleviates the caerulein-induced pathological damage in the pancreas. Baicalein decreased the expression level of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines of the pancreas in caerulein treated mice and of isolated pancreatic acinar cells. Moreover, baicalein inhibited the expression of NF-κB p65 and the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) as well as STAT 3, which indicates that baicalein exerts its anti-inflammatory effects via dampening the NF-κB, MAPK and STAT 3 signaling pathways. Together, this study provides experimental evidence for the clinical application of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi or baicalein and indicates that baicalein may be a promising candidate for treatment of AP patients in the future.