Gastric subcellular organelle fragility and impaired gastric energy charge levels in rats with caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis: protective effect of anti-ulcer agent, teprenone.

When rats were given a supramaximal dose of caerulein (infused intravenously at 5 micrograms/kg.h for 4 h) they developed acute pancreatitis characterized by significantly raised amylase levels in the blood. In this model of acute pancreatitis, reduced gastric adenylate energy charge levels were observed, and the leakage of the lysosomal enzyme, cathepsin B, from gastric lysosomes and of the mitochondrial enzyme, malate dehydrogenase, from gastric mitochondria were both significantly accelerated compared with the control group. The intragastric administration of the anti-ulcer agent, teprenone, at a dose of 5 mg/kg (twice before caerulein infusion) significantly inhibited this gastric damage accompanying acute pancreatitis. These results suggest that gastric subcellular organelle fragility may play an important role in the pathogenesis of impaired gastric energy metabolism accompanying acute pancreatitis, and indicate the possible usefulness of teprenone in preventing this gastric damage.