Activity of cathepsins in rat's spleen due to experimentally induced pancreatitis

The aim of this study was to establish and quantify the changes of the level of cathepsin B, D and L in the spleen during experimental pancreatitis. The experiment was carried out in 115 male Wistar rats, randomly divided into three groups: intact (n = 15), injected with 0.9% NaCl solution into the common bile pancreatic duct (n = 50) and injected with 5% sodium taurocholate into this duct to induce acute pancreatitis (n = 50). After 2, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours rats were anaesthetised, and blood was taken for amylase determination from the heart, and the spleen was removed. Alpha-amylase level in the blood serum samples was measured by enzymatic method. Cathepsin activity was established by spectrophotometric methods using substrates which form coloured complexes when they react with these proteases. The specific free fraction activity of cathepsin B, D and L in the spleen changed during the course of experiment, but there was no correlation between their activity and the intensity of pancreatitis established by serum amylase level.