Treatment of acute necrotic pancreatitis combined with lung injury by glutathione in rats

Objective To investigate the efficacy of glutathione in treatment of acute necrotic pancreatitis (ANP)combined with acute lung injury in rats. Methods Ninety SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group (groupⅠ), ANP model group (groupⅡ), glutathione treatment group(groupⅢ)(n=30 in each group). Animals in groupⅠreceived laparotomy and the duodenum and pancreas were turned over. Animals in groupⅡand Ⅲ received laparotomy and ANP was induced by retrograde pancreatic biliary duct infusion of 5% sodium taurocholate. One hour after operation animals in groupsⅠandⅡwere injected with 0.9% NaCl through caudal vein; animals in group Ⅲ were injected with 6% glutathione solution. At 3, 6, 12h after infusion, 10 rats in each group were randomly selected for PaO2 and plasma TNF-α level; the lung tissue extract was assayed for water content, lipid peroxidization (MDA) and.myeloperoxidase (MPO). Lung and pancreatic tissue was also examined pathologically. Results Compared toⅠgroup, the PaO2 levels in groupⅡand Ⅲ were significantly decreased at 6h after infusion(P0.05), but that in Ⅲ group was increased significantly at 12h(P0.05). Lung water content and TNF-αlevels in groupⅡwere significantly increased after infusion (bothP0.05). Compared to group, the MDA levels in groupⅡand Ⅲ were significantly increased at 6h after infusion (P0.05), but MDS in groupⅢ was lower than that in groupⅡ(P0.05). MPO levels in groupⅡand Ⅲ were significantly increased at 3h after infusion(P0.05), but MPO in group Ⅲ was lower than that in group Ⅱ (P0.05). In pathological examination: group Ⅰhad no significant morphology changes, the lung tissue in groupⅡ presented inflammation, edema and disorganization significantly, the lung injury in groupⅢ was milder than that in Ⅱgroup. Conclusion Lung injury is the early complication associated with ANP. Treatment with glutathione can significantly alleviate the lung injury.