Effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza pretreatment on the CCK and VIP expression in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion-induced digestive tract congestion.

The inhibitory effect of different reperfusion periods 45 min following hepatic ischemia on the expression of cholecystokinin (CCK) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in the jejunum and the effect of salvia miltiorrhiza pretreatment were investigated, and the possible mechanism and implications were explored. Eighty rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control group (CO group), sham-operated group (SO group), ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury group (IR group) and salvia miltiorrhiza pretreatment group (SM group). The rat model of I/R was established by using a non-invasive artery clamp to clip (45 min) or relax the hepatic pedicle. In the SM group, saline (40 mL/kg) and salvia miltiorrhiza injection (6 g/kg) were injected via the tail vein 30 min before clipping the hepatic pedicle. In the SO group only the porta hepatis was dissected after laparotomy without clamping the hepatic pedicle. At 0, 3, 12, 24 and 72 h post-reperfusion, respectively, upper jejunum samples were taken for immunohistochemistry of CCK and VIP. It was found that 0 h after I/R, the expression of CCK and VIP in the upper jejunum was upregulated. With prolongation of the reperfusion period, the expression of CCK and VIP was also increased, reached the peak at the 24th h, and gradually returned to the normal level at the 72nd h after reperfusion. The levels of both CCK and VIP in the SM group were lower than those in the IR group. It is suggested that the digestive tract congestion injury caused by liver ischemia can upregulate the expression of CCK and VIP in the jejunum following reperfusion. Salviae pretreatment can partly reduce the increased expression of CCK and VIP in the jejunum in the same period, which might contribute to the early recovery of gastrointestinal motility.