Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To explore the interventional effect of baicalin on infectious preterm model rats and observe the impact on adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) pathways.
METHODS The pregnant Wistar rats were chosen as the study subjects, 8 of which were assigned as the blank group, 24 rats were successfully modeled and were divided into the model group, the drug control group and the experimental group, with 8 rats in each group. The drug control group and the experimental group were respectively intervened with progesterone and baicalin. The pathological features of placental tissues were observed under light microscopy after the intervention for 7 days, the levels of inflammatory factors, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and oxidative stress indexes were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; the expression levels of AMPK mRNA, NF-κB mRNA and proteins were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative method and Western blot.
RESULTS The levels of monocyte chemotactic protein 1(MCP-1), high mobility group protein B1(HMGB1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and malondialdehyde (MDA) was well as the expression levels of NF-κB mRNA and proteins were higher in the model group, the drug control group and the experimental group than in the blank group; the superoxide dismutase (SOD) level and expression levels of AMPK mRNA and proteins were lower in the model group, the drug control group and the experimental group than in the blank group (
P<0.05). The levels of MCP-1, HMGB1, IL-6, TNF-α, MMP-2, MMP-9 and MDA as well as the expression levels of NF-κB mRNA and proteins were lower in the drug control group and the experimental group than in the model group, while the SOD level and expression levels of AMPK mRNA were higher in the drug control group and the experimental group than in the model group (
P<0.05).
CONCLUSION Baicalin can alleviate the inflammatory response and oxidative stress response and regulate the matrix metalloproteinase level, which may be associated with the regulation of AMPK/NF-κB pathways.