title: Plasma endothelin and nitric oxide levels in patients with acute pancreatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the changes of plasma endothelin (ET) and nitric oxide (NO) levels in patients with acute pancreatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The level of plasma ET was measured by radioactive-immunoassay, and NO by spectrophotometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of ET, NO and the ET/NO ratio in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) within 24 hours in hospital were all significantly higher than those in other groups of patients [(176+/-8) pg/ml, (97+/-11) micromol/L, and 1.83+/-0.12, P<0.01]. Compared to healthy controls (N), the levels of ET and NO in patients without pancreatitis acute abdomen (NAP) and patients with mild acute pancreatitis (MAP) increased significantly (P<0.01). After appropriate treatment, the levels of ET and NO in the MAP group were lower (P<0.01). Compared with those before treatment, the levels of ET and NO in the SAP group on the 3rd and 7th day in hospital dropped significantly (P<0.01). The ET/NO ratio on the 7th day was also lower than that on admission (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The malfunction of endothelial cells and the increased ET/NO ratio may be related to the mechanism of pancreatic microcirculatory disturbance in patients with SAP; early dynamic determination of these parameters may help predict the prognosis of SAP.
authors: Department of General Surgery, Second clinical College, Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing 400010, China. zeng-xiaohua@263.net
authors: Xiao-Hua
authors: XH
authors: Zeng
authors: Shi-Qin
authors: SQ
authors: Zhu
authors: Xing-Ming
authors: XM
authors: Zhang
authors: Wen-Jun
authors: WJ
authors: Luo
authors: Sheng-Wei
authors: SW
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016232:Endothelins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D016232:Endothelins; D009569:Nitric Oxide