The Effect of Ischemic Preconditioning of the Pancreas on Severity of Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Pancreatitis After a Long Period of Ischemia in the Rat

BackgroundThe role of ischemia/reperfusion injury in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis is still ill-defined. It is accepted, however, that ischemia/reperfusion induces the development of postimplantation pancreatitis that is responsible for considerable morbidity. Preconditioning by brief exposure to ischemia protects the organ against damage evoked by subsequent severe ischemia. This study was undertaken to examine whether two brief ischemic periods protect the pancreas against severe ischemia/reperfusion-induced pancreatitis.Materials and methodsThis study was performed on 30 rats in three groups. The first group (control) underwent a laparatomy without clamping of any artery. The second group underwent 30-minute clamping of the inferior splenic artery followed by 1-hour reperfusion of the pancreas, and the third group underwent clamping of inferior splenic artery (2 × 5 minutes with 5-minute interval) as ischemic preconditioning and then 30-minute clamping of inferior splenic artery followed by 1-hour reperfusion.ResultsExposure to 30-minute pancreatic ischemia followed by 1-hour reperfusion led to the development of severe alterations greater than the other group that underwent ischemic preconditioning and then ischemia/reperfusion. Ischemia preconditioning applied prior to induction of pancreatitis reduced plasma lipase and interleukin-1β concentrations as well as less histological signs of pancreatic damage.ConclusionWe concluded that pancreatic ischemic preconditioning reduced the severity of ischemia/reperfusion-induced pancreatitis. This effect seemed to be related at least in part to the release of the proinflammatory mediator interleukin-1β.