title: Role of COX-2 in microcirculatory disturbance in experimental pancreatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the role of COX-2 in the development of capillary leakage in rats with acute interstitial pancreatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats with acute interstitial pancreatitis were induced by caerulein subcutaneous injection. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to determine the gene expression of COX-2 in pancreatic tissues, spectrophotometry was used to assay the parameters of acute pancreatitis such as the serum amylase and plasma myeloperoxidase, and determination of capillary permeability in the pancreas by quantifying the permeability index (PI) assisted response of pancreatic microvascular via intravital fluorescence microscope video image analysis system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant increase of COX-2 expression, elevation of serum amylase, and plasma myeloperoxidase were detected in rats with acute edematous pancreatitis compared with control rats. The changes of pancreatic microvascular after caerulein injection were as following: (a) the decrease of pancreatic capillary blood flow (4th h, 0.56+/-0.09 nL/min, P<0.05; 8 th h, 0.34+/-0.10 nL/min, P<0.001); (b) reduction of functional capillary density (4 th h, 381+/-9 cm(-1), P>0.05; 8th h, 277+/-13 cm(-1), P<0.001); (c) irregular and intermittent capillary perfusion was observed at the 8th h and these vessels were also prone to permeation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  COX-2 plays an important role in mediating capillary permeability in pancreatitis, thereby contributing to capillary leakage.
authors.affiliation: III Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Wei
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Zong-Guang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: You-Dai
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hong-Kai
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001775:Blood Circulation; D002196:Capillaries / Q000503:physiopathology; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D002108:Ceruletide; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012039:Regional Blood Flow
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D002108:Ceruletide; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases