Acute taurodeoxycholate-induced pancreatitis in the rat is associated with hyperCCKemia.

Background: Cholecystokinin (CCK) has been suggested to be involved in the development and course of acute pancreatitis. In the present study we measured plasma CCK concentrations in acute experimental pancreatitis (AEP) in the rat, and evaluated the role of circulating CCK levels on the initial pancreatic damage in pancreatitis.

Methods: Endogenous hyperCCKemia was induced by surgical biliodigestive shunt (BDS) and exogenous hyperCCKemia by infusion of CCK-8S. The CCK-A receptor antagonist devazepide was used to antagonize the effect of CCK. Pancreatitis was induced by pancreatic duct infusion of sodium taurodeoxycholate 4 wk after the BDS operation or 1 wk after the start of the infusions. Nonpancreatitic sham- and BDS-operated rats, respectively, were used as control animals as were groups of otherwise untreated rats with pancreatitis. The animals were sacrificed 6 h after induction of pancreatitis. Concentrations of CCK were determined in plasma as were protein and amylase levels in the pancreas and peritoneal exudates. The extent of pancreatic necroses was assessed microscopically.

Results: Pancreatitis caused an 11-20-fold increase of circulating CCK as measured after 6 h. In pancreatitic rats with induced hyperCCKemia, there was a further marked increase of plasma CCK. Pancreatic weight and edema, protein and amylase contents, and extent of necroses were the same regardless of the level of plasma CCK. Devazepide had no influence on the studied pancreatic parameters.

Conclusion: We conclude that acute taurodeoxycholate-induced pancreatitis in the rat is associated with elevated plasma CCK concentrations. There seems, however, not to be any correlation between the degree of hyperCCKemia and the extent of initial pancreatic damage.