The effect of steroid administration on pancreatic secretion during and after hypovolemic shock

In a previous report from this laboratory, 1 h of hypovolemia induced a significant decrease in pancreatic flow, bicarbonate and enzyme secretion. These parameters recover after restoration of blood volume, but never return to pre-shock levels. Furthermore, increasing the period of hypovolemia produced further decreases in pancreatic flow and bicarbonate secretion only. Enzyme secretion, however, rose significantly, probably due to leakage of protein through damaged cell membranes. Prolonged hypovolemia was also accompanied by visible edema. This model of secretory changes induced by fixed periods of hypovolemic shock is ideal to study the effect of steroids on secretion and to assess its possible cytoprotective properties against early induced ischemia pancreatic pathology. Pancreatic secretion was collected by cannulation of the main pancreatic duct in 12 anesthetized dogs. Secretin was administered by continuous intravenous (i.v.) infusion at 4 U/kg/h. Four 15-min samples of pancreatic juice were collected. Then the dogs were bled, withdrawing 25-30% of total blood volume or until the mean blood pressure dropped to about 60 mmHg. At this point, 30 mg/kg of methyl prednisolone were given in 50 cm3 of NaCl i.v. to six animals. Blood samples for amylase and 15-min collections of pancreatic juice for volume, bicarbonate and enzymes were obtained during hypovolemia, as well as during and following the restoration of blood volume. The responses of the two groups differed as follows: (1) Instead of the increase in protein enzyme secretion seen in the non-steroid group with increased duration of hypovolemia, steroid-treated dogs displayed a significant decrease in protein output.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)