[New pathophysiologic knowledge about acute pancreatitis]

Induction of acute pancreatitis follows a uniform mechanism independent of the different etiologic factors such as gallstones, alcohol, ischemia, hyperlipidemia, hypercalcemia, hereditary and others. Each cause seems to affect primarily the acinar cell, resulting in premature intracellular activation of trypsinogen and other digestive enzymes. Activated enzymes and oxygen free radicals injure the acinar cell and cause a release of cytokines and vasoactive mediators, attract inflammatory cells and activate the vascular endothelium as well as the expression of adhesion molecules. The disturbance of the pancreatic microcirculation induces a progression from edematous to necrotizing pancreatitis independent of the early intracellular events, including protease activation. Specific therapy must be directed towards microperfusion failure as a secondary pathogenetic step, since the initial enzyme activation and cytokine release is irreversible by the time of clinical presentation. In experimental designs comparable to the clinical situation the following therapeutic principles have proven beneficial: increase of blood fluidity by dextran, inhibition of leukocyte-endothelium interaction by ICAM-1 antibodies, and blockade of local vasoconstriction by endothelin-receptor antagonists.