[Effects of moderate hypothermia on pancreatic injury and survival in rats with acute hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of moderate hypothermia on pancreatic injury and survival of rats with acute hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis (AHNP).


METHODS
A set of 112 rats were randomly divided into three equal groups: (1)sham-operated rats (n=24) which were kept at 37.0-37.5 centigrade after laparotomy; (2)AHNP rats (n=44) treated with normothermia (37.0-37.5 centigrade); (3)AHNP rats (n=44) treated with moderate hypothermia (32.0-33.0 centigrade). AHNP was induced by the infusion of 5% sodium taurocholate. Hypothermia was induced immediately after induction of pancreatitis by surface cooling until their rectal temperature reached 32.0-33.0 centigrade. Samples were obtained at 2 or 5 hours after pancreatitis induction in 24 rats of each group. Changes in serum amylase, lipase, wet/dry weight ratio and vascular permeability index, as well as pathology were observed. Another 40 rats of normothermic or hypothermic groups with AHNP were kept at scheduled temperature for 12 hours after pancreatitis induction. Survival was monitored for 72 hours.


RESULTS
Serum amylase and lipase levels, vascular permeability index were significantly reduced at 2 or 5 hours, and pancreatic edema significantly reduced at 5 hours after pancreatitis induction in hypothermic group compared with normothermic group (all P<0.05). Mean survival time, which was 7.5 hours (3.0-18.0 hours) in normothermic group, was prolonged with hypothermia to 25.5 hour (13.0-72.0 hours). The survival of hypothermic animals was higher than normothermic ones after pancreatitis induction ( P=0.000 1).


CONCLUSIONS
Moderate hypothermia applied after pancreatitis induction can provide protection against pancreatic injury, and increase survival in rats with AHNP. While the mechanism underlying this protection remains to be clarified, the findings of present study have implications for the possibility that hypothermia may be helpful as an adjunctive clinical therapy in acute pancreatitis.
Wang
Xue-min
XM
Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai sixth Municipal Hospital, Medical College of Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200233, China. Wangxm100@sjtu.edu.cn
Jiang
Wei
W
Hang
Yan-nan
YN
Zhou
Ming
M
Zhao
Gang
G
D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D008049:Lipase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D019283:Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D008049:Lipase; D000681:Amylases