Differential effects of saralasin and ramiprilat, the inhibitors of renin-angiotensin system, on cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease characterized by pancreatic tissue edema, acinar cell necrosis, hemorrhage and inflammation of the damaged gland. It is believed that acinar cell injury is initiated by the activation of digestive zymogens inside the acinar cells, leading finally to the autodigestion of the pancreas. Previous study in our laboratory demonstrated that cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis was associated with an up-regulation of local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in rat pancreas. Therefore, the utilization of RAS inhibitors may provide a novel and alternative treatment for acute pancreatitis. By means of a rat model of cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis, results from the present study showed that an intravenous injection of saralasin, an antagonist for angiotensin II receptors, at a dose of 40 mug/kg 30 min before the induction of acute pancreatitis significantly attenuated pancreatic edema. Results from the biochemical measurements showed that pretreatment with saralasin at a dose of 20 mug/kg markedly reduced pancreatic injury, as evidenced by the decreased activities of alpha-amylase and lipase in plasma. However, the same recipe of ramiprilat, a specific inhibitor for angiotensin-converting enzyme, at a dose of 20 mug/kg did not provide any protective effect against acute pancreatitis. On the contrary, pretreatment with ramiprilat at a dose 40 mug/kg enhanced cerulein-induced pancreatic injury. Results from histopathological analysis of these RAS inhibitors further confirmed with those results as obtained from biochemical analysis. These data indicate that administration of saralasin but not ramiprilat could be protective against acute pancreatitis and that activation of pancreatic RAS in acute pancreatitis may play a role in pancreatic tissue injury. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V All rights reserved.