title: Adverse effect of therapeutic vasoconstrictors in experimental acute pancreatitis.
abstract: Alpha-adrenergic drugs commonly are used to treat hypotension resulting from severe acute pancreatitis. It was shown previously that although systemic arterial pressure is increased by phenylephrine, pancreatic microcirculatory perfusion is decreased. Because inadequate tissue perfusion may be critical in the progression of edematous pancreatitis to parenchymal necrosis, it was hypothesized that vasoconstrictors might be harmful in pancreatitis. Therefore the effect of phenylephrine on cerulein-induced mild pancreatitis were studied. Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 54) were randomly allocated to 6 experimental groups and subjected to the following infusion regimens: (1) cerulein (cae) + phenylephrine (phe), (2) cae + saline (NS), (3) NS + phe, (4) cae + phenoxybenzamine (pbz) + phe, (5) NS + pbz + phe, and (6) NS. Initial and terminal hematocrit, serum amylase activity, and blood ionized calcium concentration were determined. The animals were killed 9 hours after starting the infusion. Macroscopic and histologic changes were scored by a 'blinded' pathologist. Phenylephrine increased the severity of cerulein-induced pancreatitis as manifested by statistically significant adverse changes in serum amylase, hematocrit, ionized calcium, peripancreatitic soap formation, and acinar cell vacuolization. These changes were antagonized by alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade with phenoxybenzamine. It is concluded that phenylephrine is deleterious in acute experimental pancreatitis, the first demonstration of such an effect by a pharmacologic vasoconstrictor, and suggested that microcirculatory changes may be important in the transition of mild to severe pancreatitis. Caution in the use of vasoconstrictor drugs in patients with acute pancreatitis is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, University of Heidelberg, West Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Klar
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Rattner
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Compton
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stanford
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chernow
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Warshaw
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D002108:Ceruletide; D005218:Fat Necrosis / Q000473:pathology; D006400:Hematocrit; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D007022:Hypotension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D010656:Phenylephrine; D002108:Ceruletide; D000681:Amylases; D002118:Calcium