Microcirculatory disturbances of the pancreas in cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in rats with reference to L-arginine, heparin, and procaine treatment

Local microcirculatory dysfunction within the pancreatic gland might be an important factor in the conversion of oedematous to necrotizing pancreatitis. Therapeutic agents, improving the pancreatic blood flow, might be valuable in acute pancreatitis treatment. An influence of nitric oxide, heparin and procaine treatment on microcirculatory values in acute pancreatitis (AP) in rats was investigated. Acute pancreatitis was induced by i.p. injection of cerulein in four doses of 15 mu g kg(-1) each at 1-h intervals. The rats with pancreatitis were divided into five groups, 12 animals each. One group remained without treatment, four groups were treated i.p. either with NO synthase inhibitor L-NNA (2 X 25 mg kg(-1) or heparin 2 X 2.5 mg kg(-1) or L-arginine 2 X 100 mg kg(-1) or procaine 2 X 25 mg kg(-1). Five control groups, ten animals each, received saline, L-NNA, heparin, L-arginine or procaine only. Five hours after the first ceruleine injection microcirculatory values within the pancreas were measured by means of laser Doppler flowmetry. Acute pancreatitis caused a significant drop of microcirculatory value to 37% of the basal value. The L-NNA administration resulted in a further insignificant reduction of the pancreatic blood flow to 34%. An improvement of microcirculation was observed in rats with pancreatitis receiving heparin (76%) and L-arginine (72%). Procaine had no effect on microcirculatory disturbances within the pancreas in rats with pancreatitis. Cn-induced acute pancreatitis (AP) causes microcirculatory deterioration within the pancreas. Heparin and nitric oxide donor, L-arginine, might be considered as therapeutic agents, improving the diminished pancreatic tissue perfusion observed in acute pancreatitis. Procaine does not improve the pancreatic blood flow in acute pancreatitis. (C) 1997 The Italian Pharmacological Society.