INCREASED PANCREATIC METALLOTHIONEIN AND GLUTATHIONE LEVELS - PROTECTING AGAINST CERULEIN-INDUCED AND TAUROCHOLATE-INDUCED ACUTE-PANCREATITIS IN RATS

Recent findings have suggested that oxygen-derived free radicals play an important role in the development and progression of acute pancreat itis. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate whether metallothionein, a free radical scavenger, can protect against acute pancreatitis. Rats were injected intraperitoneally with zinc, followed by either an infusion of cerulein at 10 mu g/kg for 4 h or a retrogra de injection with 100 mu l/100 g body weight of 5% sodium taurocholate into the pancreaticobiliary duct, in order to induce acute pancreatit is, Zn administration significantly increased the levels of both metal lothionein and reduced glutathione in the pancreas; the metallothionei n levels reached a peak of 83-fold of normal levels after 24 h. The in dications of acute pancreatitis, as well as the mortality, were im pro ved by Zn treatment before the onset of acute pancreatitis. Immunohist ochemical studies showed that metallothionein accumulated in the acini of the pancreas in the Zn-treated groups, and with strong staining ar ound the periphery of the vacuoles in the group treated with both Zn a nd cerulein. These findings suggested that Zn increased both metalloth ionein and glutathione levels in the pancreas and exerted a beneficial effect against cerulein- or taurocholate-induced acute pancreatitis i n rats.