Abstract
Abstract
We examined the effect of pancreatitis-associated ascitic fluid (PAAF) on the oxidative activity of rat liver cells and found a depression with eight of nine dog PAAF samples. Pancreatitis was induced in dogs by retrograde pancreatic duct infusion of bile salts plus trypsin. The resultant PAAF was collected, passed through a sterile 0.22–μm Micropore filter to remove bacteria and other debris, and stored at −18° until used. Liver cells were obtained from minced Sprague—Dawley rat livers by gentle homogenization and filtration through a nylon mesh filter to produce a cell suspension. The oxygen utilization of liver cells incubated at 37° with a 1:50 dilution of PAAF was compared to controls incubated with normal dog plasma. The oxygen uptake of PAAF-treated cells was significantly lower with seven of nine ascitic fluids and the depression in oxygen consumption was found to be dose dependent over the range of 10 to 80 μl PAAF. One human PAAF sample was tested and it caused a 72% decrease in liver cell oxygen uptake as compared to controls. The observed depression in rat liver cell oxygen uptake may be an expression of the cytotoxic component of PAAF that leads to cell damage and multiple organ failure in acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis.
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