title: The role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the aggravation of cerulein-induced pancreatitis in rats.
abstract: Severe acute pancreatitis is often complicated by intraperitoneal infection, resulting in multiple organ failure (MOF). It is known to elevate serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) in patients with sepsis and/or MOF. In order to study the role of TNF-alpha in the aggravation of acute pancreatitis, we investigated TNF-alpha production by peritoneal macrophages in acute pancreatitis rat using the cerulein-induced pancreatitis model. TNF-alpha production by isolated peritoneal macrophages following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation was significantly increased in pancreatitis rats as compared with nonpancreatitis control rats (p < 0.001). Serum TNF-alpha activity was elevated following intraperitoneal administration of LPS as the septic challenge both in pancreatitis rats and in control rats, being significantly higher in the former (p < 0.05). Histological findings and liver function tests revealed that LPS induced more severe liver damage in pancreatitis rats than in control rats within 24 h after LPS administration. These results indicate that increased TNF-alpha production by peritoneal macrophages in acute pancreatitis augmented LPS-induced liver injury and suggest the possibility that TNF-alpha may play a role in the development of MOF during acute pancreatitis complicated by intraabdominal sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery II, Kumamoto University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sameshima
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikei
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Egami
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Misumi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moriyasu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D002108:Ceruletide; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000209:etiology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002108:Ceruletide