Changes of lysosomal and digestive enzymes in rat caerulein pancreatitis]

We evaluated the changes of lysosomal and digestive enzymes in the exocrine pancreas after caerulein induced acute pancreatitis in rats. The serum amylase levels and water content as well as pancreatic amylase and cathepsin B contents increased significantly in the early stage (0-12 h) after caerulein was administered, however, returned to the normal levels at 36 h. In the early stage, colocalization of lysosomal enzyme and digestive enzyme was found. Histologically, in the early stage, there were remarkable changes such as acinar cell vacuolization and interstitial edema, but these changes disappeared at 36 h. Furthermore, amylase and cathepsin B outputs decreased significantly in the early stage (12 h) but at 24 h, these increased significantly. LDH discharge from dispersed acini and cathepsin B leakage from lysosomes also increased in the early stage (0-12 h), but these values returned to the normal levels at 36 h. These results indicate that exocrine pancreas needs about 36 h to recover from the caerulein induced acute pancreatitis, and in this recovering process, secretion of colocalized digestive enzyme and lysosomal enzyme seem to play an important role.