Role of ischemia in acute pancreatitis. Hemorrhagic shock converts edematous pancreatitis to hemorrhagic pancreatitis in rats.

Ischemia has been considered to play a role in the development of acute pancreatitis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ischemia, caused by hemorrhagic shock, on cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in rats. Acute pancreatitis was induced by the intravenous infusion of a supramaximally stimulating dose of cerulein (10 micrograms/kg/hr) for 6 hr. Hemorrhagic shock was induced by the removal of blood until the mean arterial blood pressure reached 35 mm Hg. This level was maintained for 30 min, after which time all the blood was reinfused. Hemorrhagic shock alone induced no morphological change in the pancreas. However, after the induction of hemorrhagic shock in animals treated with cerulein, hemorrhage and parenchymal necrosis were frequently observed in the pancreas. Seven of 20 rats (35%) receiving cerulein plus hemorrhagic shock had died by 48 hr after the start of cerulein infusion, whereas none of the rats in the cerulein or shock group died during this experiment. Cathepsin B activity in the pancreas of the cerulein plus shock group was significantly higher than in the other groups at 48 hr. These results suggest that ischemia may be a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis.