title: Reticuloendothelial system blockade promotes progression from mild to severe acute pancreatitis in the opossum.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relation between hepatic reticuloendothelial system (RES) dysfunction and the development of acute biliary pancreatitis. In an opossum model, the authors tested the hypothesis that RES blockade can turn the mild pancreatitis seen after pancreatic duct obstruction (PDO) into the severe form.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Biliary obstruction is considered the decisive event in gallstone pancreatitis. Suppression of the RES occurs during biliary obstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen opossums were placed into three groups of six animals each: group A, RES blockade with lambda-carrageenan; group B, PDO; and group C, PDO and RES blockade with carrageenan. The severity of pancreatitis was evaluated by enzyme serum levels and percentage of pancreatic tissue necrosis. RES capacity was measured by dynamic liver scintigraphy, and hepatic blood flow was documented using the hydrogen clearance technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No changes in hepatic blood flow occurred in groups A to C. RES capacity was suppressed in groups A and C; in group B, RES function remained unchanged. In group A, amylase and lipase levels remained normal, 3 +/- 1.9% of pancreatic tissue were necrotic. The animals in group B developed mild edematous pancreatitis with an increase in amylase and lipase levels and 15 +/- 10% of pancreatic necrosis. In group C, amylase and lipase increased significantly and histology revealed severe necrotizing pancreatitis, with 72 +/- 11% of necrotic areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Artificial RES blockade can promote the progression from mild pancreatitis as observed after PDO to the severe necrotizing form of the disease. Thus, RES dysfunction resulting from biliary obstruction might be an important cofactor in the pathogenesis of bile-induced pancreatitis.
authors: Department of General Surgery, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany. cschlei@medsnt01.uni-muenster.de
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Schleicher
authors: J C
authors: JC
authors: Baas
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Elser
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Senninger
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D002351:Carrageenan; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000150:complications; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D008049:Lipase / Q000097:blood; D012157:Mononuclear Phagocyte System / Q000502:physiology*; D009893:Opossums; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology*; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts / Q000601:surgery; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D019283:Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D002351:Carrageenan; D008049:Lipase; D000681:Amylases