Serum phospholipase A2 in diet-induced pancreatitis.

Serum activities of amylase, lipase, phospholipase A2 and transaminases were measured in mice with diet-induced acute pancreatitis. To study the role of choline deficiency, one control group received only a choline-deficient diet (CD diet), another group received the choline-deficient diet with 0.5% DL-ethionine (CDE), and a third group received the choline-deficient diet and was given ethionine intraperitoneally. Serum amylase activities increased after 1 day of treatment in all experimental groups. In contrast, lipase activity rose later in the groups receiving ethionine either in the diet or intraperitoneally. In the CDE group there were significant changes in phospholipase A2 on the fourth day after test feeding was started, but no rise was seen in the other groups. Correspondingly, in the group receiving the CD diet alone and the group receiving intraperitoneal ethionine the mortality was significantly lower than in the group receiving ethionine in the diet. In all experimental groups there was a significant rise in serum transaminases (ASAT, ALAT). The rise in ALAT on day 4 was significantly higher in the CDE group than in the other two groups. The mortality rate in the CDE diet group on day 4 was 91%. In the animals to which ethionine was given intraperitoneally the corresponding mortality was 21%. In the CD diet group all animals survived for more than 4 days. The present results suggest that serum lipase and phospholipase A2 activities correlate better with the severity of diet-induced pancreatitis than do serum amylase levels. The most severe cases of the disease seemed to be associated with a rise in serum phospholipase A2 activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)