Ftorafur therapy in acute pancreatitis.

The authors tested Ftorafur (N1-2'-furanidyl-5-fluorouracyl) in patients with acute pancreatitis on the basis of experimental and clinical data. The daily dosage was 200 mg (3-4 mg/kg body weight). In the course of treatment the serum and urine levels of amylase and the changes in WBC were studied. The results were compared to that obtained in patients with acute pancreatitis but were not given Ftorafur. Urine amylase levels decreased significantly in response to Ftorafur treatment over three days. The decrease of serum amylase levels and WBC was not significant in either group. The advantages of Ftorafur treatment are as follows: levels of amylase in serum and urine are normalized earlier, the duration of treatment, hence costs are decreased, Ftorafur produced a cytoprotective effect due to the inhibition of protein synthesis in the pancreas.