Pancreatic phospholipase A2 induces bacterial translocation in rats.

AbstractThe importance of pancreatic enzymes, particularly phospholipase A2 (PLA2), for bacterial translocation, which is considered to be one of the aggravating causes of acute pancreatitis, was investigated. Male rats were administered an intraperitoneal or intravenous injection of normal saline, PLA2, or amylase. Four days later, the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) and portal blood of the animals were cultured. None of the animals had a positive portal blood culture. The MLNs contained enteric bacteria in 78 % of the animals given 50 mg/kg of PLA2 intraperitoneally. 5 mg/kg of PLA2 intraperitoneally, 50 mg/kg of amylase intraperitoneally, or 50 mg/kg of PLA2 intravenously showed positive cultures in 25 %, 20 %, and 11 %, respectively. None of the animals given intraperitoneal or intravenous normal saline had positive cultures of their MLNs. Intraperitoneal injection of 25mg/kg of nafamostat mesilate just before intraperitoneal PIA2 (50 mg/kg) resulted in a reduction of positive MLNs from 70 % to 30 %. Th...