HYPERBARIC-OXYGEN THERAPY ATTENUATES PANCREATIC MICROCIRCULATORY DERANGEMENT AND LUNG EDEMA IN AN ACUTE EXPERIMENTAL PANCREATITIS MODEL IN RATS

This study was designed to investigate hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy as a treatment for managing animals with induced acute pancreatitis. Forty-five anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats were studied. A sever e acute pancreatitis model was established by combining an intravenous infusion of cerulein (15 mu g/kg/h) and an intraductal injection of 0 .1 ml of glycodeoxycholic acid (5 mM). Pathology, serum amylase level, pancreatic malondiadehyde levels and water content of the lungs and t he pancreas were used to evaluate the severity of disease. Moreover, a n in vivo microscopic technique was used to investigate microcirculato ry derangement in the pancreas, i.e., flow velocity and leukocytes sti cking in postcapillary venules. HBO was delivered in three regimens, i .e., 100% oxygen at 2.5 absolute atmospheric pressure (AAP), 40% oxy g en at 2.5 AAP, and 100% oxygen at 1 AAP, 6 h after the initiation of i nduction of acute pancreatitis. All animals survived until the end of the experiments. HBO significantly improved the pathologic conditions and pancreatic malondiadehyde levels. Concomitantly, it also significa ntly lessened the severity of lung edema and improved the microcircula tory environment in the pancreas. Our results support the findings tha t HBO therapy has a beneficial effect on pancreatic microcirculation a nd lung edema during acute pancreatitis in rats.