Factors That Modify the Effects of Prostaglandin on Diet-Induced Acute Pancreatitis in Mice

Abstract

Taylor IL, Coelle EF, Adham NF. Factors that modify the effects of prostaglandin on diet-induced acute pancreatitis in mice. Scand J Gastroenterol 1985, 20(suppl 112), 101–105.

Considerable disagreement exists as to whether prostaglandins improve survival in animals with experimental pancreatitis. in prior studies we have demonstrated a beneficial effect of prostaglandin in the choline deficient, ethionine supplemented diet model of acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis. in the present study we have examined the effects of 1) delaying treatment with 16-16–dimethyl prostaglandin E, (PGE_?) till 24 h after introduction of the diet and 2) exposing animals to the test diet for 3 days instead of 2. Following delayed treatment mortality in the saline control group (57%) was significantly higher on the fourth day compared to the PGE₂ treatment group (3%). However, the overall mortality on day 7 was not significantly different from that seen in the control group (43% versus 60%). in the second series of experiments, PGE₂ no longer had a beneficial effect if animals were fed the CDE diet for 3 days. We would conclude from this study and others that the ability to demonstrate a protective effect of PGE₂ on the pancreas is dependent upon the experimental protocol employed. Thus, the ability to demonstrate this effect is dependent upon the dose and type of prostaglandins employed, the length of exposure to the test diet, and the time at which treatment is started relative to the induction of the pancreatitis.

Key Words:

• Choline
• Ethionine
• Pancreatitis
• Prostaglandin
• reticuloendothelial system