야콘(Smallanthus sonchifolius)은 저혈당에 민간요법으로 이용해 오고 있는 구근작물이다. 최근에는 야콘잎이 항산화, 항균, 항진균 활성과 세포보호 기능이 있다고 보고되고 있다. 본 실험에서는 이러한 생리활성을 지니는 야콘잎을 이용하여 흰쥐에 DBTC (8 mg/kg)를 주사하여 췌장염을 유발시킨 후 1% 야콘추출물이 췌장의 섬유화에 미치는 영향을 연구하였다. 유발 21일째 처리군에서 췌장의 실질조직의 많은 부분이 collagen으로 재구성되어 있었으나 유발군에서는 처리군에 비해 현저히 감소되어 있었다. COX-2 발현에서, 대조군은 반응이 나타나지 않거나 매우 약한 반응이었으나, 유발군에서는 14일째 매우 증가되었으며, 특히 21일째는 침윤하고 있는 많은 염증세포에서 COX-2의 발현이 확인되었다. 처리군은 유발군에 비해 발현이 감소되었다. TGF-${eta}1$ 발현은 21일째 염증세포에서는 유발군이 처리군에 비해 현저한 증가 현상이 나타났으나, 샘꽈리세포에서의 TGF-${eta}1$의 발현은 처리군에서 증가되었다. VEGF 발현은 TGF-${eta}1$의 발현과 거의 유사한 경향으로 나타났다. 그러므로 야콘추출물이 DBTC로 유도된 췌장염의 섬유화 진행을 억제하는데 매우 효과적임을 확인하였다.
Yacon has been used in folk medicines as a medicinal tea for hypoglycemia treatment. In a recent study described herein, antioxidative, antibacterial, antifungal activities, and cell-protective functions of yacon leaves have been reported. To evaluate the effects on fibrosis on pancreatitis, the efficacy of 1% of yacon extract (YE) on dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC) (8 mg/kg)-induced pancreatitis in rats was examined. On the 21st day after the DBTC treatment, a large increase in collagen was observed in the pancreas in the DBTC-treatment group (DT). But this was noticeably decreased with YE. In relation to the expression of COX-2, there was no response or a very weak response in the pancreas of the control group (CON). However, in DT, strong expression of COX-2 was observed in the pancreas on the 14th day, and COX-2 was present in inflammatory cells in the pancreas of the DT, especially on the 21st day. The expression was decreased for YE compared with DT. A remarkable increase in TGF-${eta}1$ expression was observed in inflammatory cells in the pancreas in DT on the 21st day, whereas the expression was not found in YE after 21 days. However, on the 21th day, TGF-${eta}1$ expression was increased in acinar cells of YE compared with DT. VEGF expression was very similar to the expression of in the pancreas. These results suggest that YE has an inhibitory effect on DBTC-induced pancreatic fibrosis.
