ROLE OF OXIDATIVE STRESS IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF ACUTE-PANCREATITIS

During the last 10 years, the role of oxidative stress in pancreatitis and the benefits or otherwise of antioxidants has been the subject of numerous research papers. There is general agreement that glutathione and other sulphydryl compounds are depleted while lipid peroxidation is increased in pancreatic tissue during the development of acute panc reatitis. Treatment with antioxidants has been shown to reduce acinar cell injury and oedema in various animal models of pancreatitis, sugge sting that the sustained generation of reactive oxygen species deplete s cellular antioxidant defences. Evidence for a role for bradykinin an d nitric oxide in pancreatitis has been conflicting with some studies suggesting these agents might ameliorate pancreatic dysfunction by enh ancing pancreatic blood Bow and secretion in response to bradykinin-st imulated generation of nitric oxide from endothelium, while other stud ies suggest that nitric oxide potentiates pancreatic oxidative stress. Thus, there is clearly a need for well-designed clinical trials to ev aluate the protective role of antioxidant therapy in acute pancreatiti s.