Ftorafur therapy in acute pancreatitis.

The authors tested Ftorafur (N1-2'-furanidyl-5-fluorouracyl) in patients with acute pancreatitis on the basis of experimental and clinical data. The daily dosage was 200 mg (3-4 mg/kg body weight). In the course of treatment the serum and urine levels of amylase and the changes in WBC were studied. The results were compared to that obtained in patients with acute pancreatitis but were not given Ftorafur. Urine amylase levels decreased significantly in response to Ftorafur treatment over three days. The decrease of serum amylase levels and WBC was not significant in either group. The advantages of Ftorafur treatment are as follows: levels of amylase in serum and urine are normalized earlier, the duration of treatment, hence costs are decreased, Ftorafur produced a cytoprotective effect due to the inhibition of protein synthesis in the pancreas.

The effect of 5-fluorouracil on experimental acute pancreatitis.

The present study was undertaken to elucidate the effects of different doses of 5-fluorouracil on experimental acute pancreatitis. Twelve mongrel dogs were used. Acute pancreatitis was induced by intraductal injection of sunflower-oil. Two groups of animals were treated with intravenous 5-fluorouracil: 1 mg/kg body weight for the first group of 5 animals, and 5 mg/kg body weight for the second one of 7 animals in subsequent three postoperative days. All the animals in the first group died within 24 to 36 hours due to acute haemorrhagic pancreatitis. All the animals in the second one survived longer than 36 hours. A statistically significant increase of serum amylase and lipase levels was found in pancreatitis with significant decrease of them during treatment. Three to 8 weeks later signs of chronic pancreatitis could be detected in surviving dogs.