title: Long-term aspirin pretreatment in the prevention of cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of long term pretreatment with low-, medium- and high-dose aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid, ASA) on a model of acute pancreatitis (AP) induced in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty male Wistar rats were used. Three experimental groups, each consisting of eight animals, received low- (5 mg/kg per day), medium- (150 mg/kg per day) and high-dose (350 mg/kg per day) ASA in supplemented pellet chow for 100 d. Eight animals, serving as the AP-control group, and another eight, serving as reference value (RV) group, were fed with standard pellet chow for the same period. After pretreatment, AP was induced in the experimental animals by intraperitoneal administration of cerulein (2 × 50 μg/kg), while the RV group received saline in the same way. Twelve hours after the second injection, the animals were sacrificed. Pancreatic tissue and plasma samples were collected. One part of the collected pancreatic tissues was used for histopathological evaluation, and the remaining portion was homogenized. Cytokine levels [tumor necrosis factor, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6], hemogram parameters, biochemical parameters (amylase and lipase), nuclear factor-κB, aspirin triggered lipoxins and parameters related to the antioxidant system (malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, hemeoxygenase-1, catalase and superoxide dismutase) were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cerulein administration induced mild pancreatitis, characterized by interstitial edema (total histopathological score of 5.88 ± 0.44 vs 0.25 ± 0.16, P < 0.001). Subsequent pancreatic tissue damage resulted in an increase in amylase (2829.71 ± 772.48 vs 984.57 ± 49.22 U/L, P = 0.001) and lipase (110.14 ± 75.84 U/L vs 4.71 ± 0.78 U/L, P < 0.001) in plasma, and leucocytes (6.89 ± 0.48 vs 4.36 ± 0.23, P = 0.001) in peripheral blood. Cytokines, IL-1β (18.81 ± 2.55 pg/μg vs 6.65 ± 0.24 pg/μg, P = 0.002) and IL-6 (14.62 ± 1.98 pg/μg vs 9.09 ± 1.36 pg/μg, P = 0.04) in pancreatic tissue also increased. Aspirin pretreatment reduced the increase in the aforementioned parameters to a certain degree and partially improved the histopathological alterations caused by cerulein. No evidence of side effects related to chronic ASA administration (e.g., inflammation or bleeding) was observed in the gastrointestinal tract in macroscopic and histopathological examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long term ASA pretreatment could prevent and/or ameliorate certain hematological, serological and histological alterations caused by cerulein-induced AP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Veterinary Faculty, Istanbul University, 34320 Istanbul, Turkey. iakyazi@istanbul.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akyazi
authors.forename: Evren
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eraslan
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gülçubuk
authors.forename: Elif Ergül
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Ekiz
authors.forename: Zeynep L
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Cırakli
authors.forename: Damla
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haktanir
authors.forename: Deniz Aktaran
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bala
authors.forename: Mete
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozkurt
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matur
authors.forename: Mukaddes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozcan
mesh_terms: D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002108:Ceruletide; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D008049:Lipase / Q000097:blood; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010179:Pancreas / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D002108:Ceruletide; D008049:Lipase; D000681:Amylases; D001241:Aspirin
keywords: Acute pancreatitis; Antioxidant; Aspirin; Cerulein; Cytokines