ObjectiveTo study the role and mechanism of resisitin in prophylactic and therapeutic treatments of rosiglitazone,a specific peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ(PPARγ) ligand,in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) and pancreatitis-associated pulmonary injury.MethodsThe levels of amylase ( AMY ),Resistin,TNF-α,IL-1 β and C reactive protein (CRP) in blood plasma,lung myeloperoxidase ( MPO ) activity,pancreas/body weight ratio and lung wet/dry weight ratio were evaluated.Pancreatic and pulmonary pathology were observed.The expression of resistin in pancreas was detected byimmunohistochemistry.The gene expression of resistin mRNA was investigated by real-time PCR.ResultsBoth prophylactic and therapeutic treatments with rosiglitazone could obviously ameliorate the levels of AMY,resistin,TNF-αt,IL-1β and CRP ( all P ＜ 0.01 ).Compared with the control group,both prophylactic and therapeutic treatment groups were higher( all P ＜ 0.01 ).The prophylactic treatment group was not different from the therapeutic treatment group.Both prophylactic and therapeutic treatments with rosiglitazone could significantly reduce pancreas/body weight ratio,pancreatic pathology,MPO,pulmonary pathology ( all P ＜ 0.01 ).Compared with the SAP group,the expression of resistin mRNA in the prophylactic and therapeutic treatment groups were obviously decreased.ConclusionRosiglitazone could obviously ameliorate pancreatitis and pulmonary injury induced by L-arginine.