To explore the role of cell apoptosis pathway in alcoholic pancreatitis.

C57BL/J mice were divided into control group(NC) and Alcohol group (AC), Acute pancreatitis group (AP) and Alcoholic acute pancreatitis group(AAP). Alcohol treatment was 10% w/v ethanol feeding for 2 d, 15% w/v ethanol for 5 d, and then 20% w/v ethanol until 13 weeks. AP model was established by the intraperitoneal injection of 50μg caerulein /kg body weight once an hour for a total of 7 times. Blood samples were collected for detecting serum amylase and lipase activity. Part pancreatic tissue was collected and the wet and dry weight were both measured to calculate the water content. The routine pathological examination of the pancreatic tissues were conducted. The expression of apoptosis associated protein caspase3 and caspase8 was determined by Western blot. And cell apoptosis was determined using TUNNEL method.

The level of serum amylase in NC group, AC group, AP group and AAP group were(3 630±259), (3 196±187), (35 955±4607) and(53 607±3 848)U/L; the level of serum lipase were(502±41), (745±42), (7 346±665)and(12 764±2 544)U/L; the water content were(70.2±3.1)%, (69.6±2.0)%, (78.2±1.5)% and(85.0±3.0)% and (12.75±0.25); the expression of caspase3 were (1.017±0.0784), (1.287±0.097), (178±0.07785) and (0.2443±0.0243); the expression of caspase8 were (0.8289±0.0096), (0.5985±0.0735), (1.27±0.08) and (0.145±0.015); the number of apoptotic cells were 1, 6, 214, 97/10 high power field. The pathological score of pancreas injure in NC group, AC group, AP group and AAP group were 0, 0, (7±0.4)and (12.8±0.3), respectively. Serum amylase, lipase, water content and pathological scores in AP group were obviously higher than those in NC group (P<0.05), which in AAP group were also obviously higher than those in AP group, and all the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Compared with NC group, the expressions of apoptosis associated protein caspase3 and caspase8 and the number of apoptotic cells were obviously increased in AP group, which were obviously higher than those in AAP group, but the expression of caspase3 and caspase8 in AAP group were decreased compared with NC group, and all the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05).

Chronic alcohol exposure may aggravate the severity of pancreatitis, and the inhibition of apoptosis pathway and the enhancement of acinar cell necrosis may be involved in this process.

Pancreatitis, alcoholic; Ethanol; Apoptosis; Mice