Glucagon treatment of experimental acute pancreatitis

CFY male rats anaesthetized with pentobarbital were used in different groups for inducing acute pancreatitis by the retrograde injection either of 1 mg elastase, 5 mg trypsin, 4 mg lysolecithin, 10 mg Na-taurocholate in 0.2 ml volume or of 0.3 m. sunflower oil. In each group laparatomized animals served for control. The animals with pancreatitis were treated either with 15 mug/b.w.kg/hour glucagon or with physiological saline for 72 hours. Twenty-four and 72 hours after inducing pancreatitis glucagon did not influence the significant fall in blood pressure elicited by the intraductal injection of trypsin or elastase or in the plasma calcium level in pancreatitis induced by trypsin or sunflower oil. Neither did glucagon affect the significant increase of plasma lipase activity in pancreatitis induced by trypsin or taurocholate. It also failed to reduce the 24-hour mortality rate and the extension of fat tissue necrosis in the abdominal cavity of pancreatitic animals. In contrast, glucagon treatment significantly reduced the amount of abdominal exudate associated with bile salt induced pancreatitis and, probably due to its pancreatic blood flow increasing effect, seemed to moderate the degree of tissue damage elicited in the pancreas by detergents such as taurocholate or lysolecithin.