Role of oxygen radicals in hepatocellular impairment in cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis.

Acute pancreatitis was induced in male Wistar rats by i.v. infusion of cerulein in the dose of 5 x 10(-6) g x kg-1 x h-1 for periods of 3 and 12h. The most important finding in our study was the increase of malondialdehyde concentration in hepatic tissue, observed after 12 h of cerulein infusion, accompanied by ultrastructural changes predominantly in the sinusoids. Obtained date suggest that products originating from lipid peroxidation in pancreatic tissue, in concert with activated Kupffer cells, may be responsible for such impairment of hepatic tissue.