Sw. Galloway et An. Kingsnorth, LUNG INJURY IN THE MICROEMBOLIC MODEL OF ACUTE-PANCREATITIS AND AMELIORATION BY LEXIPAFANT (BB-882), A PLATELET-ACTIVATING-FACTOR ANTAGONIST, Pancreas, 13(2), 1996, pp. 140-146
Acute pancreatitis is associated with the development of pulmonary dys
function in a number of patients. The aim of this study was to determi
ne whether acute lung injury was a feature of the microembolic model o
f pancreatitis in rats and to assess the therapeutic effect of lexipaf
ant (BB-882), a potent platelet-activating factor antagonist, on the l
ung injury. Acute pancreatitis was induced by microembolisation of the
pancreas with 20-mu m polystyrene microspheres, After 12 h tissue cap
illary permeability was assessed by an Evans blue dye (EBD) extravasat
ion technique and compared with that in control animals. A further gro
up of animals received an intraperitoneal injection of BB-882 (5 mg/kg
) 30 min after the induction of pancreatitis. There was a significantl
y increased tissue content of EBD in the pancreas and lungs of the gro
up of animals with acute pancreatitis (p < 0.05). BB-882 ameliorated t
he pulmonary changes when administered after the induction of pancreat
itis, as demonstrated by a significant reduction in the EBD content of
the lungs (p < 0.01). Increased pulmonary vascular permeability is an
early feature of the microembolic model of acute pancreatitis and the
se changes appear to be modified by the administration of BB-882, prov
iding further evidence for the potential role of platelet-activating f
actor antagonists in the treatment of acute pancreatitis and its compl
ications.