Characterization of the acute pancreatitis induced by secretory phospholipases A2

Author(s)

Enilton Aparecido Camargo

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Ciências Médicas
• Defense date: 2007-02-13

Examining board members

Edson Antunes; Soraia Katia Pereira Costa; Sonia Jancar Negro; Alba Regina Monteiro Souza Brito; Ilka de Fatima Santana Ferreira Boin

• Advisor: Edson Antunes

Abstract

Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease of the pancreas that is characterized by intense pancreatic necrosis and remote systemic effects such as the lung injury that is the main cause of death during acute pancreatitis. There are evidences that phospholipases A2 (PLA2) have an important role in the acute pancreatitis pathophysiology. The aim of this work was to investigate the ability of PLA2 to induce acute pancreatitis in rats, and the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. The following PLA2s were used: piratoxin-I (a Lys-49 PLA2 homologue devoid of catalytic activity), bothropstoxin-II (an Asp-49 PLA2 homologue with low catalytic activity) and PLA2 from Naja mocambique mocambique venom (high catalytic activity). Male Wistar rats (200-250g) provided by CEMIBUNICAMP have been used. The PLA2s were injected into the common bile duct of anesthetized rats, after which pancreatic plasma protein extravasation, pancreatic and lung neutrophil infiltration and serum levels of amylase were measured. Histology of the pancreatic and lung tissue has also been carried out in some experimental group. Piratoxin-I was able to increase the pancreatic plasma protein extravasation, lung neutrophil infiltration and serum amylase levels. In addition, Piratoxin-I caused histological changes in the pancreatic (neutrophil infiltration, areas of acinar cell necrosis and interstitial edema) and lung (interstitial edema and diminuition of alveolar space) tissues, which were more evident in the early periods (4-12h) after the injection. Bothropstoxin-II and PLA2 from Naja mocambique mocambique venom were also able to increase the plasma protein extravasation and neutrophil influx in the pancreatic tissue by mechanisms unrelated to their catalytic activity. However, the remote lung neutrophil influx caused by these PLA2s was shown to depend on their catalytic activity. The enhancement of serum amylase levels was also dependent on the catalytic activity of these enzymes. The PLA2s also caused amylase secretion from isolated pancreatic acini, which was dependent on their catalytic activity. Next, in order to further understand the mechanisms involved in pancreatitis induced by PLA2 Naja mocambique mocambique, animals were treated with the following pharmacological agents: pentoxifylline (TNF-á synthesis inhibitior), SR140333 (NK1receptor antagonist), icatibant (B2 receptor antagonist), L-NAME (non-selective NOS inhibitor), aminoguanidine (preferential inducible NOS inhibitor), indomethacin (nonselective COX inhibitor), celecoxib (selective COX-2 inhibitor), PCA4248 (PAF receptor antagonist) and AA861 (5-lipoxygenase inhibitor). Taken together our data showed that local and remote effects are multimediated, involving the participation of bradykinin, substance P, NO, TNF-á, PAF and COXs metabolites. In conclusion, we have shown that secretory PLA2s are able to induce acute pancreatitis in rats when injected into the common bile duct. Therefore, PLA2-induce acute pancreatitis reproduces some aspects of the human disorder representing a new strategy to study the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis (AU)