Pancreatic phospholipase A(2) induces bacterial translocation in rats

The importance of pancreatic enzymes, particularly phospholipase A(2) (PLA( 2)), for bacterial translocation, which is considered to be one of the aggr avating causes of acute pancreatitis, was investigated. Male rats were admi nistered an intraperitoneal or intravenous injection of normal saline, PLA( 2), or amylase. Four days later, the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) and port al blood of the animals were cultured. None of the animals had a positive p ortal blood culture. The MLNs contained enteric bacteria in 78 % of the ani mals given 50 mg/kg of PLA(2) intraperitoneally. 5 mg/kg of PLA(2) intraper itoneally, 50 mg/kg of amylase intraperitoneally, or 50 mg/kg of PLA, intra venously showed positive cultures in 25 %, 20 %, and Ii %, respectively. No ne of the animals given intraperitoneal or intravenous normal saline had po sitive cultures of their MLNs. Intraperitoneal injection of 25mg/kg of nafa mostat mesilate just before intraperitoneal PLA(2) (50 mg/kg) resulted in a reduction of positive MLNs from 70 % to 30 %. The cecal myeroperoxidase (M PO) activity-of animals administered 50 mg/kg of PLA(2) intraperitoneally w as significantly higher compared with animals administered saline intraperi toneally. These results indicate that intraperitoneal leakage of PLA(2) pla ys an important role in bacterial translocation during acute pancreatitis a nd that administration of a protease inhibitor:may be effective against the bacterial translocation.