Effect of hyperthermia on experimental acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND

[corrected] Recent studies indicate that hyperthermia can change inflammatory mechanisms and protect experimental animals from deleterious effects of secretagogue-induced acute pancreatitis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of hyperthermia post-treatment on cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in rats

METHODS

Twenty animals were divided in two groups: group I (n = 10), rats with cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis undergone hyperthermia, and group II (n = 10), animals with cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis that were kept normothermic. In all groups, amylase serum levels, histologic damage, vascular permeability and pancreatic water content were assessed. Acute pancreatitis was induced by administration of two cerulein injections (20 mcg/kg). A single dose of Evans' blue dye was administered along with the second dose of cerulein. All animals also received a subcutaneous injection of saline solution. After this process, animals undergone hyperthermia were heated in a cage with two 100 W lamps. Body temperature was increased to 39.5 degrees C and maintained at that level for 45 minutes. Normothermia rats were kept at room temperature in a second cage

RESULTS

Control animals had typical edema, serum amylase activity and morphologic changes of this acute pancreatitis model. Hyperthermia post-treatment ameliorated the pancreatic edema, whereas the histologic damage and the serum amylase level remained unchanged

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest a beneficial effect of the thermal stress on inflammatory edema in experimental acute pancreatitis.