The proteome of mesenteric lymph during acute pancreatitis and implications for treatment.

CONTEXT

The protein fraction of mesenteric lymph during acute pancreatitis and other critical illness is thought to contain toxic factors. However, we do not have a complete description of the mesenteric lymph proteome during acute pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to define the proteomic changes in mesenteric lymph during acute pancreatitis.

SETTING

Animal Laboratory, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

DESIGN

Mesenteric lymph was collected from sixteen male Wistar rats randomised to Group 1 (n=8) with taurocholate induced acute pancreatitis and Group 2 (n=8) sham control. The lymph was subjected to proteomic analysis using iTRAQ (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

RESULTS

Two hundred and forty-five proteins including 35 hypothetical proteins were identified in mesenteric lymph. Eight of the 245 proteins had a significant increase in their relative abundance in acute pancreatitis conditioned mesenteric lymph, and 7 of these were pancreatic catabolic enzymes (pancreatic amylase 2, pancreatic lipase, carboxypeptidase A2, chymotrypsinogen B, carboxypeptidase B1, cationic trypsinogen, ribonuclease 1).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first comprehensive description of the proteome of mesenteric lymph during acute pancreatitis and has demonstrated a significantly increased relative abundance of 7 secreted pancreatic catabolic enzymes in acute pancreatitis conditioned mesenteric lymph. This study provides a clear rationale for further research to investigate the efficacy of enteral protease inhibitors in the treatment of acute pancreatitis.