THE NITRIC-OXIDE DONOR SODIUM-NITROPRUSSIDE IS PROTECTIVE IN ISCHEMIAREPERFUSION INJURY OF THE PANCREAS/

Background; The role of nitric: oxide in the ischemia/reperfusion inju ry of the pancreas is still unclear. In other organs, protective as we ll as aggravating effects have been described. We have, therefore, inv estigated the effect of the nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside on pancreatic ischemia/reperfusion injury. Methods. In Landrace pigs, af ter transsection of the pancreas, complete vascular isolation of the p ancreatic tail was performed. The tail was subjected to 3 hr of warm i schemia and thereafter reperfusion (6 hr). The animals were divided in to a control group (n=7) and a treatment group (n=7) that received 15 mg of sodium nitroprusside after reperfusion intra-arterially into the splenic artery. Results. The morphological tissue damage and lipase a ctivity in the venous effluent of the pancreas were significantly lowe r in the treatment group. Partial oxygen tension in the tissue after r eperfusion was markedly reduced in the control group, indicating an im pairment of microcirculation. In the treatment group, however, partial oxygen tension in the tissue was significantly higher (43 vs. 20 mmHg ; P<0.014). Furthermore, total blood flow through the, pancreatic tail in the treatment group was found to be significantly higher in the la te reperfusion period (14 vs. 9.5 ml/min at 5 hr after reperfusion; P< 0.05). Conclusion. There is a marked impairment of pancreatic microcir culation after reperfusion, Sodium nitroprusside counteracts this impa irment and has a protective effect on ischemia/reperfusion injury of t he pancreas.