Pulmonary injuries and cytokine levels after the intraperitoneal administration of pancreatic homogenates in rats.

INTRODUCTION: Our objective was to investigate the effects of the administration of pancreatic homogenates, with or without enzymatic activation, to healthy animals regarding cytokine serum levels and the development of pulmonary distress. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 106 male Wistar rats, divided into three groups, were studied: group A, intraperitoneal administration of homogenates activated with enterokinase; group B, homogenates without enterokinase; and group C, control group with administration of physiological saline solution. Each group was divided into 4 subgroups according to the time of sacrifice: 0, 2, 6 and 24 hours. We studied the pulmonary and pancreatic histology, serum parameters of renal and hepatic function, and serum levels of IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNFalpha. RESULTS: There was no mortality in any group. Pancreatic disorders in A and B groups were noted at 24 hours. These two groups had statistically significant higher transaminase serum levels than those of the control group, as well as statistically significant higher creatinine levels in group A. IL-1beta showed a statistically significant higher level at 6 h in both groups, A and B, but was higher in group A, which also exhibited significant pulmonary histologic damage with respect to controls at 6 h. CONCLUSIONS: The higher IL-1beta level in group A may result from production by peritoneal macrophages under the influence of homogenate enzymatic activation. This may be the reason for lung damage.

Pancreatitis following the intraductal injection of partially purified enterokinase in dogs.

Experimental pancreatitis (PT) is induced by proximal and distal duodenal closure in the bile-duct-ligated dog, by causing duodeno-pancreatic reflux of lumenal secretions. It has been postulated that trypsin and enterokinase (EK) in the secretions activate trypsinogen within the pancreas, producing PT. There is supporting evidence for trypsin, but EK has not previously been investigated. To determine whether EK alone could cause PT, we injected saline suspensions of partially purified EK, and other test materials, into the duct of Wirsung of dogs and after 24 hr examined their pancreases and estimated the increment in serum amylase. Following 0.5% EK, both PT and hyperamylasemia (HA) ensued; HA without PT occured when EK was inactivated by heat, administered with trypsin inhibitor (TI), or administered in more dilute solution. Injection of TI or of hog gastric mucin likewise leads to HA but not to PT. It is concluded that the PT observed was due to EK activity, and that therefore EK could contribute to the production of PT observed was due to EK activity, and that therefore EK could contribute to the production of PT in the closed-duodenal-loop model. The HA observed in the absence of PT is unexplained but appears to be related to the colloidal properties of the materials injected.