PURPOSE: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) inactivation was studied to determine alterations in the pancreatic capillary blood flow (PCBF) during caerulein-induced pancreatitis in rats. METHODS: A laser-Doppler flowmeter to measure PCBF and N-t-Butyl-Phenylnitrone (PBN) compound to inactivate ROS were used. Forty rats were divided in groups: 1) control; 2) caerulein; 3) PBN; 4) caerulein+PBN. Serum biochemistry and histopathological analyses were performed. RESULTS: PCBF measured a mean of 109.08 ± 14.54%, 68.24 ± 10.47%, 102.18 ± 10.23% and 87.73 ± 18.72% in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. PCBF in groups 2 and 4 decreased 31.75 ± 16.79% and 12.26 ± 15.24%, respectively. Serum amylase was 1323.70 ± 239.10 U/l, 2184.60 ± 700.46 U/l, 1379.80 ± 265.72 U/l and 1622.10 ± 314.60 U/l in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. There was a significant difference in the PCBF and serum amylase when compared groups 2 and 4. Cytoplasmatic vacuolation was present in groups 2 and 4. Otherwise, no qualitative changes were seen. CONCLUSION: ROS inactivation improves PCBF and minimizes the serum amylase increase during caerulein-induced pancreatitis. ROS effect may be one of the leading causative events in this model of acute pancreatitis.
Blood flow; Caerulein; Laser-Doppler; Oxygen radicals; Pancreatitis; Spin-trapping nitrone
