THE EFFECTS OF NEUTROPHIL DEPLETION ON A COMPLETELY NONINVASIVE MODELOF ACUTE PANCREATITIS-ASSOCIATED LUNG INJURY

Conclusion. A completely noninvasive animal model of acute pancreatiti s-associated lung injury was used to show that neutrophils, activated by pancreatitis, play a key role in mediating pancreatitis-associated lung injury. Background. Significant pulmonary complications have been known to occur in over 50% of patients with severe acute pancreatitis . Recent studies using a variety of animal models of pancreatitis have suggested that neutrophil activation may play an important role in me diating lung injury. However, in these models, the interpretation of t he results is complicated because surgical manipulations alone could h ave resulted in the activation of neutrophils. Methods. Young female m ice were fed a choline deficient ethionine(CDE) supplemented diet. The severity of pancreatitis was evaluated by measuring hyperamylasemia, acinar cell necrosis, and pancreatic myeloperoxidase activity. Lung in jury was quantified by measuring lung microvascular permeability and l ung myeloperoxidase activity. To evaluate the role of neutrophils in C DE diet-induced pancreatitis-associated lung injury, animals were pret reated with antineutrophil serum. Results, Mice fed the CDE diet devel op pancreatitis-associated lung injury. Pretreatment of mice with anti neutrophil serum results in marked depletion of circulating neutrophil s. Under these conditions, the severity of pancreatitis is reduced and lung injury is completely prevented.