Effects of PDTC on NF-κB expression and apoptosis in rats with severe acute pancreatitis-associated lung injury.

We investigated the effects of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) on intrapulmonary expression of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and apoptosis in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). We induced SAP, then used immunohistochemistry, TUNEL staining, quantitative PCR assays and western blotting to examine PDTC effects. Treatment with PDTC resulted in interstitial edema and widening of the basement membrane, with swollen mitochondria and aggregation of nuclear chromatin. Expression of NF-κB, Fas, Bcl-2 and TNF-α in lung tissues of SAP rats was increased, with NF-κB, Fas and TNF-α levels maximal after 6 h. PDTC appeared to ameliorate pathological changes, with low levels of NF-κB, Fas, TNF-α, and Caspase-3 mRNA observed and a lower apoptosis index compared with that seen in SAP rats. Expression of NF-κB could be involved in lung tissue apoptosis during SAP. We postulate that PDTC inhibits the activation of NF-κB and apoptosis, effectively alleviating the severity of lung injury.