Brief Reports
Copyright ©2005 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Apr 21, 2005; 11(15): 2340-2345
Published online Apr 21, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i15.2340
Oxidative stress and nitric oxide in rats with alcohol-induced acute pancreatitis
Gülnur Andican, Remisa Gelisgen, Ethem Unal, Osman Baran Tortum, Sergülen Dervisoglu, Tayfun Karahasanoglu, Gülden Burçak
Gülnur Andican, Remisa Gelisgen, Gülden Burçak, Department of Biochemistry, Cerrahpaþa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
Ethem Unal, Osman Baran Tortum, Tayfun Karahasanoglu, Department of Surgery, Cerrahpaþa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
Sergülen Dervisoglu, Department of Pathology, Cerrahpaþa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Gülnur Andican, Ataköy 7-8, Klslm L13 Blok, E kaplsl Da: 45, Istanbul, Turkey. andican@e-kolay.net
Fax: +90-2125595591
Received: May 25, 2004
Revised: May 26, 2004
Accepted: May 30, 2004
Published online: April 21, 2005
Abstract

AIM: Oxygen free radical mediated tissue damage is well established in pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis (AP). Whether nitric oxide (NO) plays a deleterious or a protective role is unknown. In alcohol-induced AP, we studied NO, lipooxidative damage and glutathione in pancreas, lung and circulation.

METHODS: AP was induced in rats (n = 25) by injection of ethyl alcohol into the common biliary duct. A sham laparatomy was performed in controls (n = 15). After 24 h the animals were killed, blood and tissue sampling were done.

RESULTS: Histopathologic evidence confirmed the development of AP. Marked changes were observed in the pulmonary tissue. Compared with controls, the AP group displayed higher values for NO metabolites in pancreas and lungs, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in circulation. Glutathione was lower in pancreas and in circulation. Glutathione and NO were positively correlated in pancreas and lungs of controls but negatively correlated in circulation of experimental group. In the experimental group, plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were negatively correlated with pancreas thiobarbituric acid reactive substances but positively correlated with pancreas NO.

CONCLUSION: NO increases in both pancreas and lungs in AP and NO contributes to the pathogenesis of AP under oxidative stress.

Keywords: Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, Glutathione, Nitric oxide, Acute pancreatitis