Protective effects of prostaglandin e1 on the acute lung injury of
caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in rats.
Yamanaka, Kenji, Ashok K. Saluja, Glenn E. Brown, Yoshikazu Yamaguchi,
Bernd Hofbauer, and Michael L. Steer.
Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Hospital and Harvard Medical
School, Harvard Digestive Disease Center, Boston, MA 02215
APStracts 3:0176G, 1996.
Infusion of a supramaximally stimulating dose of the pancreatic
secretagogue caerulein (10 [mu]g/kg/h) for 4 hours induces
interstitial edematous acute pancreatitis in rats. This model of
acute pancreatitis is associated with evidence of acute lung injury
including sequestration of neutrophils within the pulmonary
microvasculature, increased microvascular permeability, and
interstitial pulmonary edema. Infusion of 50 ng/kg/min prostaglandin
E1 (PGE1) along with the caerulein does not alter the severity of
secretagogue-induced pancreatitis, but it does reduce the severity of
the pancreatitis-associated acute lung injury. The rise in lung
weight, lung water content, pulmonary microvascular permeability, and
sequestration of neutrophils within the pulmonary microvasculature
which accompany secretagogue-induced pancreatitis are all reduced by
infusion of PGE1. Infusion of PGE1 does not interfere with
polymorphonuclear neutrophil sequestration in the pancreas nor reduce
the enhanced expression of CD11b/c receptors on circulating
neutrophils. Our observations indicate that PGE1 reduces the severity
of pancreatitis-associated acute lung injury by preventing neutrophil
sequestration within the lung. We speculate that PGE1 interferes with
neutrophil sequestration by causing dilation of the pulmonary
vasculature, increasing pulmonary flow rate, and reducing neutrophil
-endothelial cell interaction and attachment.
Received 15 February 1996; accepted in final form 16 May 1996.
APS Manuscript Number G61-6.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Gastrointest. Liver
Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 19 September 1996