Abstract
BACKGROUND Intestinal injury plays a key role in the pathogenesis of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). In this study, we investigated the protective function of downregulated Gasdermin D (GSDMD) in intestinal damage in a mouse model of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty-four healthy male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups - the NS group, the siRNA-NS group, the SAP group, and the siRNA-SAP group - with 6 mice in each group. SAP was induced in mice by intraperitoneal injection of caerulein and lipopolysaccharide. The pathological changes of pancreatic and the intestinal mucosa and the relative gene and protein expressions in each group were compared, and the levels of GSDMD and serum IL-1ß and IL-18 were evaluated after induction of the SAP model. RESULTS The mice in the SAP group were in more serious condition than those in the siRNA-SAP group, with various degrees of edema and hemorrhage in the intestinal tract. Under an optical microscope, the pathological changes of pancreatic tissue such as edema, inflammatory cell infiltration, and the damage of lobular structural were gradually increased in the SAP group and the siRNA-NS group. In addition, intestinal mucosal damage and intestinal villus breakage were found in the SAP group and the siRNA-NS group, and the latter was lighter than the former. Compared with the SAP group, the level of GSDMD protein expression in the siRNA-SAP group was lower, and the serum levels of IL-1ß and IL-18 were higher in the SAP group and siRNA-SAP group (P<0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis showed the occludin and ZO-1 proteins in the NS group had a strong brown linear signal, while the brown-positive signals were weaker in the siRNA-SAP group and the SAP group. CONCLUSIONS Downregulating GSDMD protein can reduce pancreatitis associated with pyroptosis.