Does heparin modify protease-antiprotease balance in acute experimental pancreatitis in rats

A rat model of taurocholate-induced acute pancreatitis has been employed to investigate the effect of heparin on the protease-antiprotease balance. Heparin was applied intraperitoneally at a dose of 6 mg/kg body weight during 24 hrs. At 24 and 48 hours of acute pancreatitis, heparin evidently diminished the consumption of trypsinogen in pancreatic tissue and decreased trypsin generation. The use of heparin prevented the consumption of alpha 1 anti-chymotrypsin, alpha 1-anti-trypsin and AT-III in pancreatic tissue, whereas in plasma the concentration of the mentioned inhibitors was restored or even increased. Heparin does not affect evidently lowered alpha 2-macroglobulin concentration, either in pancreatic tissue or in plasma. We conclude that heparin applied in acute pancreatitis markedly moderates the dysfunction of protease-antiprotease balance both in plasma and in pancreatic tissue.