EFFECT OF A PLATELET-ACTIVATING-FACTOR ANTAGONIST AND DESFERRIOXAMINEADMINISTRATION ON EICOSANOID PRODUCTION IN RAT PANCREAS TRANSPLANTATION

Eicosanoid metabolism and its relationship with platelet-activating fa ctor and oxygen free radical production in rat pancreas transplantatio n has been studied herein. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were classified in 4 experimental groups (n=8 each) as follows: group 1, control; group 2, pancreas transplantation, after 12 hr of organ preservation in Univ ersity of Wisconsin solution; group 3, same as group 2 with desferriox amine administration before revascularization of the organ in the reci pient rat; and group 4, same as group 3 with administration of a plate let-activating factor antagonist (BN-52021). The results show posttran splantation increases in eicosanoid production in pancreatic tissue. T he fact that desferrioxamine and BN-52021 administration could reverse increases in thromboxane B-2 leukotriene B-4, and la-hydroxyeicosatet raenoic acid but only BN-52021 affected 6-keto-PGF1 alpha levels sugge sts the existence of a close relationship between platelet-activating factor and oxygen free radical in eicosanoid production in pancreas tr ansplantation and it points to a differential role of metabolites prod uced by circulatory cells and endothelial cells.