Pharmacological interventions for acute pancreatitis

Retinal microvascular changes in patients with pancreatitis and their clinical significance

Acute pancreatitis, a common exocrine inflammatory disease affecting the pancreas, is characterized by intense abdominal pain and multiple organ dysfunction. However, the alterations in retinal blood vessels among individuals with acute pancreatitis remain poorly understood. This study employed optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to examine the superficial and deep retinal blood vessels in patients with pancreatitis. Sixteen patients diagnosed with pancreatitis (32 eyes) and 16 healthy controls (32 eyes) were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University for participation in the study. Various ophthalmic parameters, such as visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and OCTA image for retina consisting of the superficial retinal layer (SRL) and the deep retinal layer (DRL), were recorded for each eye. The study observed the superficial and deep retinal microvascular ring (MIR), macrovascular ring (MAR), and total microvessels (TMI) were observed. Changes in retinal vascular density in the macula through annular partitioning (C1-C6), hemispheric quadrant partitioning (SR, SL, IL, and IR), and early diabetic retinopathy treatment studies (ETDRS) partitioning methods (R, S, L, and I). Correlation analysis was employed to investigate the relationship between retinal capillary density and clinical indicators. Our study revealed that in the superficial retinal layer, the vascular density of TMI, MIR, MAR, SR, IR, S, C2, C3 regions were significantly decreased in patients group compared with the normal group. For the deep retinal layer, the vascular density of MIR, SR, S, C1, C2 regions also reduced in patient group. The ROC analysis demonstrated that OCTA possesses significant diagnostic performance for pancreatitis. In conclusion, patients with pancreatitis may have retinal microvascular dysfunction, and OCTA can be a valuable tool for detecting alterations in ocular microcirculation in pancreatitis patients in clinical practice.

Inhibition of xanthine oxidase alleviated pancreatic necrosis via HIF-1α-regulated LDHA and NLRP3 signaling pathway in acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a potentially fatal condition with no targeted treatment options. Although inhibiting xanthine oxidase (XO) in the treatment of AP has been studied in several experimental models and clinical trials, whether XO is a target of AP and what its the main mechanism of action is remains unclear. Here, we aimed to re-evaluate whether XO is a target aggravating AP other than merely generating reactive oxygen species that trigger AP. We first revealed that XO expression and enzyme activity were significantly elevated in the serum and pancreas of necrotizing AP models. We also found that allopurinol and febuxostat, as purine-like and non-purine XO inhibitors, respectively, exhibited protective effects against pancreatic acinar cell death in vitro and pancreatic damage in vivo at different doses and treatment time points. Moreover, we observed that conditional Xdh overexpression aggravated pancreatic necrosis and severity. Further mechanism analysis showed that XO inhibition restored the hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α)-regulated lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) and NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) signaling pathways and reduced the enrichment of 13C6-glucose to 13C3-lactate. Lastly, we observed that clinical circulatory XO activity was significantly elevated in severe cases and correlated with C-reactive protein levels, while pancreatic XO and urate were also increased in severe AP patients. These results together indicated that proper inhibition of XO might be a promising therapeutic strategy for alleviating pancreatic necrosis and preventing progression of severe AP by downregulating HIF-1α-mediated LDHA and NLRP3 signaling pathways.

Practical approach to acute pancreatitis: from diagnosis to the management of complications

The purpose of this review is to provide a practical guide for the clinical care of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) from the management of the early phases of disease to the treatment of local complications. AP is one of the most frequent causes of gastroenterological admission in emergency departments. It is characterized by a dynamic and unpredictable course and in its most severe forms, is associated with organ dysfunction and/or local complications, requiring intensive care with significant morbidity and mortality. Initial therapy includes adequate fluid resuscitation, nutrition, analgesia, and when necessary critical care support. In recent years, the development of minimally invasive tailored treatments for local complications, such as endoscopic drainage, has improved patients' acceptance and outcomes. Despite this, the management of AP remains a challenge for clinicians. The present review was conducted by the authors, who formulated specific questions addressing the most critical and current aspects of the clinical course of AP with the aim of providing key messages.

Inhibition of sepsis-induced pancreatic injury by leukotriene receptor antagonism via modulation of oxidative injury, and downregulation of inflammatory markers in experimental rats

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of montelukast on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pancreatitis. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: normal control, control montelukast, LPS group, and two LPS + montelukast-treated groups. Acute pancreatitis (AP) was induced by a single dose of LPS (6 mg/kg, i.p.), while montelukast was given in two different doses (10 and 20 mg/kg/day) for 3 consecutive days prior to the injection of LPS. AP was demonstrated by significant increases in serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and pancreatic enzymes lipase and amylase. Proinflammatory response activation was evident by elevated serum levels of nitric oxide (NO) and increased pancreatic concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1β), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). The activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO), a neutrophil infiltration marker, has also been increased. Oxidative stress was confirmed by significant increases in the concentrations of lipid peroxides measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and decreases in the concentrations of reduced glutathione (GSH) in the pancreatic tissues of animals treated with LPS. Histological examination confirmed the biochemical alterations. Montelukast treatment reversed all these biochemical indices and histopathological changes that LPS induced. Montelukast reduced the increase in serum levels of lipase, amylase, LDH, total nitrite/nitrate, TNF-α, IL-1β, and ICAM-1. MPO activities and TBARS concentrations were also suppressed while GSH content was increased in pancreatic tissues. These results show that montelukast may be a beneficial pharmacological agent in protection against LPS-induced oxidative pancreatic injury by inhibiting neutrophil infiltration, counteracting oxidative stress, and suppressing inflammatory mediators.

Effect of early antibiotic treatment strategy on prognosis of acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Antibiotic use in the early stages of acute pancreatitis is controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of early antibiotic application on the prognosis of acute pancreatitis (AP).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Clinical data of patients with primary AP admitted to our emergency ward within 72 hours of onset were retrospectively collected from January 2016 to December 2020. We classified patients with acute pancreatitis according to etiology and disease severity, and compared the differences in hospital stay, laparotomy rate, and in-hospital mortality among AP patients who received different antibiotic treatment strategies within 72 hours of onset.

RESULTS

A total of 1134 cases were included, with 681 (60.1%) receiving early antibiotic treatment and 453 (39.9%) not receiving it. There were no significant differences in baseline values and outcomes between the two groups. In subgroup analysis, patients with biliary severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) who received early antibiotics had lower rates of laparotomy and invasive mechanical ventilation, as well as shorter hospital stays compared to those who did not receive antibiotics. In logistic regression analysis, the early administration of carbapenem antibiotics in biliary SAP patients was associated with a lower in-hospital mortality rate. Early antibiotic use in biliary moderate-severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP) reduced hospital stays and in-hospital mortality. Quinolone combined with metronidazole treatment in biliary mild acute pancreatitis (MAP) shortened hospital stays. Early antibiotic use does not benefit patients with non-biliary AP.

CONCLUSION

Strategies for antibiotic use in the early stages of AP need to be stratified according to cause and disease severity.

Nutrition in acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) has varying severity, and moderately severe and severe AP has prolonged hospitalization and requires multiple interventions. These patients are at risk of malnutrition. There is no proven pharmacotherapy for AP, however, apart from fluid resuscitation, analgesics, and organ support, nutrition plays an important role in the management of AP. Oral or enteral nutrition (EN) is the preferred route of nutrition in AP, however, in a subset of patients, parenteral nutrition is required. EN has various physiological benefits and decreases the risk of infection, intervention, and mortality. There is no proven role of probiotics, glutamine supplementation, antioxidants, and pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy in patients with AP.

The integration of rapid qualitative research in clinical trials: reflections from the ward-based goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) in acute pancreatitis feasibility trial

BACKGROUND

There has been an increase in the integration of qualitative studies in randomised controlled trials. The purpose of this article is to reflect on our experience of carrying out a rapid qualitative study during a feasibility trial of goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) in patients with acute pancreatitis, including our sharing of emerging findings and the use of these findings by the trial team.

METHODS

The study was designed as a rapid feedback evaluation and combined interviews with staff and patients who took part in the trial.

FINDINGS

The rapid qualitative study pointed to common problems in trial recruitment among multiple sites, where lack of engagement of clinical teams across sites might impact negatively on patient recruitment. The article describes how the use of rapid feedback loops can be used as the trial is ongoing to inform changes in implementation. It also covers the potential challenges of working rapidly and collaborative with the trial team.

CONCLUSIONS

Rapid feedback evaluations can be used to generate findings across all stages of trial design and delivery. Additional research is required to explore the implementation of this research design in other settings and trial designs.

Neostigmine for the treatment of acute pancreatitis: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common disease with substantial mortality. Gut dysfunction may result in abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) and delay enteral nutrition, worsening AP condition. Neostigmine is used as a prokinetic drug for the treatment of AP. But there are no recommendations from guidelines due to the lack of evidence. Therefore, we plan to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the efficacy and safety of neostigmine for AP, aiming to provide current evidence for clinical practice.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We prepared this protocol following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols. We will search the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang, conference proceedings and ongoing trials registers for eligible studies comparing neostigmine plus conventional therapy with conventional therapy. Primary outcomes include new-onset ACS and serious adverse events caused by neostigmine. Evaluation of the risk of bias, heterogeneity and quality of evidence will follow recommendations of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Trial sequential analysis will be used to control the risk of random errors and assess conclusions in the meta-analysis.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval is unnecessary as the systematic review is based on published studies. Study findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022369536.

Effects of somatostatin in combination with early hemoperfusion on inflammatory, hemorheological and oxidative parameters during the treatment of acute pancreatitis

We aimed to evaluate the effects of somatostatin combined with early hemoperfusion on inflammatory and stress responses during acute pan-creatitis (AP) treatment.A total of 159 AP patients treated from September 2016 to January 2020 were randomly divided into three groups A-C (n=53). In addition to routine treatment, groups A-C were additionally given somatostatin, early hemoperfusion, and somatostatin combined with early hemoperfusion, re-spectively. Their inflammatory factors, stress response, intestinal mucosal bar-rier, hemorheological indices, recovery time, length of stay, clinical efficacy, and adverse reactions were compared. The levels of serum interleukin-10 (IL -10), catalase and glutathione peroxidase rose in the three groups after ten days of treatment, compared with values before treatment, being the highest rise in group C. The levels of IL -18, tumor necrosis factor-α, soluble intercellular adhe-sion molecule-1, procalcitonin, high mobility group protein B1, lipid hydrogen peroxide, advanced oxidation protein products, epinephrine, cortisol, D-lactic acid, diamine oxidase, and endotoxin decreased after ten days of treatment compared with those before treatment, which were lowest in group C (P<0.05). After ten days of treatment, the levels of hemorheological indices were signifi-cantly lower than those before treatment (P<0.05). Compared with groups A and B, group C had a shorter recovery time of urine amylase, bowel sound and passing gas, remission time of abdominal pain, length of stay, and a higher to-tal response rate (P<0.05).During AP treatment, somatostatin combined with early hemoperfusion effectively relieved inflammatory and stress responses, protected the intestinal mucosal barrier function and improved the hemorheol-ogy, thereby promoting the recovery and benefiting the prognosis of patients.

Neostigmine for non-mild acute pancreatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background: The therapeutic value of neostigmine as a prokinetic drug in acute pancreatitis (AP), especially in non-mild AP, including moderately severe and severe AP remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the efficacy of neostigmine treatment in patients with non-mild AP. Methods: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang databases up to 24 December 2022 for RCTs comparing neostigmine plus conventional treatment versus the conventional treatment alone in patients with non-mild AP. Trial sequential analyses (TSA) were used to assess the risk of random errors and the results. Results: Six RCTs with 318 participants were included. Compared with conventional treatment, patients who received neostigmine plus conventional treatment had a shorter time duration for their first defecation (MD: -1.74; 95% CI: -2.10 to -1.38; p < 0.00001; n = 205; RCTs = 4; low quality of evidence) and better relief time of abdominal symptoms (MD: -1.59, 95% CI: -2.07 to -1.11; p < 0.00001; n = 155; RCTs = 3; low quality of evidence) as primary outcomes, and a faster percentage decrease of IAP at 24 h (p = 0.0005; moderate quality of evidence) and a shorter length of ICU stay (p < 0.00001; moderate quality of evidence) as partial secondary outcomes. TSA suggested the sample size was limited, but the cumulative Z curves of the primary outcomes crossed the conventional boundary and the trial sequential monitoring boundary. Conclusion: For patients with non-mild AP, neostigmine promotes the recovery of gastrointestinal motility and may have positive effects on the improvement of a clinical prognosis. Further large-sample studies are needed for a definite conclusion. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/; Identifier: CRD 42022381417.

No evidence for the benefit of PPIs in the treatment of acute pancreatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Although current guidelines do not recommend the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in the standard of care of acute pancreatitis (AP), they are often prescribed in clinical practice, mainly for ulcer stress prophylaxis. In this systematic review and meta-analysis we evaluated the association between the use of PPIs in the management of AP and various clinical outcomes. We conducted the systematic research in six databases without restrictions on January 24th, 2022. We investigated adult patient with AP, who were treated with PPI compared to conventional therapy. The pooled odds ratios, mean differences, and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated with random effect model. We included six RCTs and three cohort studies, consisting of 28,834 patients. We found a significant decrease in the rate of pancreatic pseudocyst formation in patients who received PPI treatment. PPI use was associated with a higher risk of GI bleeding, however this finding could be due to the patients' comorbid conditions. We found no significant difference in the rates of 7-day mortality, length of hospital stay, and acute respiratory distress syndrome between the groups. The available data on this topic are limited; therefore, further well designed RCTs are needed to evaluate the potential benefits and adverse effects of PPIs in AP.

The combination of ulinastatin and somatostatin reduces complication rates in acute pancreatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Currently, there is no specific pharmaceutical agent for treating acute pancreatitis (AP). Somatostatin and its analogues have been used to prevent the autolysis of the pancreas in AP, however, their effectiveness has not been confirmed. This investigation aimed to examine the efficacy of ulinastatin, a protease inhibitor, combined with somatostatin analogues in the treatment of AP. We conducted a systematic database search in 4 databases to identify randomized controlled trials in which the efficacy of ulinastatin in combination with somatostatin analogue was compared to somatostatin analogue alone in patients with AP. Since the patient populations of analysed papers were slightly different, we used random effect models to pool odds ratios (OR) and mean differences (MD) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 9 articles comprising 1037 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The combination therapy significantly reduced the complication rates for acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute kidney injury, and multiple organ dysfunction. Symptoms were relieved threefold with the combination therapy compared to somatostatin alone, and combination therapy significantly shortened the length of hospital stay. The decrease in mortality was not statistically significant..

Acute Pancreatitis: Diagnosis and Treatment

Acute pancreatitis is a common indication for hospital admission, increasing in incidence, including in children, pregnancy and the elderly. Moderately severe acute pancreatitis with fluid and/or necrotic collections causes substantial morbidity, and severe disease with persistent organ failure causes significant mortality. The diagnosis requires two of upper abdominal pain, amylase/lipase ≥ 3 ×upper limit of normal, and/or cross-sectional imaging findings. Gallstones and ethanol predominate while hypertriglyceridaemia and drugs are notable among many causes. Serum triglycerides, full blood count, renal and liver function tests, glucose, calcium, transabdominal ultrasound, and chest imaging are indicated, with abdominal cross-sectional imaging if there is diagnostic uncertainty. Subsequent imaging is undertaken to detect complications, for example, if C-reactive protein exceeds 150 mg/L, or rarer aetiologies. Pancreatic intracellular calcium overload, mitochondrial impairment, and inflammatory responses are critical in pathogenesis, targeted in current treatment trials, which are crucially important as there is no internationally licenced drug to treat acute pancreatitis and prevent complications. Initial priorities are intravenous fluid resuscitation, analgesia, and enteral nutrition, and when necessary, critical care and organ support, parenteral nutrition, antibiotics, pancreatic exocrine and endocrine replacement therapy; all may have adverse effects. Patients with local complications should be referred to specialist tertiary centres to guide further management, which may include drainage and/or necrosectomy. The impact of acute pancreatitis can be devastating, so prevention or reduction of the risk of recurrence and progression to chronic pancreatitis with an increased risk of pancreas cancer requires proactive management that should be long term for some patients.

Safety and efficacy of intravenous hydromorphone patient-controlled analgesia versus intramuscular pethidine in acute pancreatitis: An open-label, randomized controlled trial

Background: Hydromorphone patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) provides satisfactory postoperative pain therapy, but its effect has not been assessed in acute pancreatitis (AP).

Aim: To assess the safety and efficacy of intravenous hydromorphone PCA for pain relief in AP.

Methods: This open-label trial included AP patients admitted within 72 h of symptom onset, aged 18–70 years old, and with Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain intensity ≥5. They were randomized to receive intravenous hydromorphone PCA (0.05 mg/h with 0.2 mg on-demand) or intramuscular pethidine (50 mg as required) for three consecutive days. Intramuscular dezocine (5 mg on demand) was the rescue analgesia. The primary outcome was the change of VAS score recorded every 4 h for 3 days. Interim analysis was conducted by an Independent Data and Safety Monitoring Committee (IDSMC).

Results: From 26 July 2019 to 15 January 2020, 77 patients were eligible for the intention-to-treat analysis in the interim analysis (39 in the hydromorphone group and 38 in the pethidine group). Baseline parameters were comparable between groups. No difference in VAS between the two groups was found. Hydromorphone PCA was associated with higher moderately severe to severe cases (82.1% vs. 55.3%, p = 0.011), acute peripancreatic fluid collections (53.9% vs. 28.9%, p = 0.027), more cumulative opioid consumption (median 46.7 vs. 5 mg, p &lt; 0.001), higher analgesia costs (median 85.5 vs. 0.5 $, p &lt; 0.001) and hospitalization costs (median 3,778 vs. 2,273 $, p = 0.007), and more adverse events (20.5% vs. 2.6%, p = 0.087). The per-protocol analysis did not change the results. Although a sample size of 122 patients was planned, the IDSMC halted further recruitment as disease worsening or worse clinical outcomes between the groups in the interim analysis.

Conclusion: Hydromorphone PCA was not superior to pethidine in relieving pain in AP patients and might have worse clinical outcomes. Therefore, its use is not recommended.

Clinical Trial Registration: Chictr.org.cn. ChiCTR1900025971

Transcriptomics and Network Pharmacology Reveal the Protective Effect of Chaiqin Chengqi Decoction on Obesity-Related Alcohol-Induced Acute Pancreatitis via Oxidative Stress and PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway

Obesity-related acute pancreatitis (AP) is characterized by increasing prevalence worldwide and worse clinical outcomes compared to AP of other etiologies. Chaiqin chengqi decoction (CQCQD), a Chinese herbal formula, has long been used for the clinical management of AP but its therapeutic actions and the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. This study has investigated the pharmacological mechanisms of CQCQD in a novel mouse model of obesity-related alcohol-induced AP (OA-AP). The mouse OA-AP model was induced by a high-fat diet for 12 weeks and subsequently two intraperitoneal injections of ethanol, CQCQD was administered 2 h after the first injection of ethanol. The severity of OA-AP was assessed and correlated with changes in transcriptomic profiles and network pharmacology in the pancreatic and adipose tissues, and further docking analysis modeled the interactions between compounds of CQCQD and their key targets. The results showed that CQCQD significantly reduced pancreatic necrosis, alleviated systemic inflammation, and decreased the parameters associated with multi-organ dysfunction. Transcriptomics and network pharmacology analysis, as well as further experimental validation, have shown that CQCQD induced Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant protein response and decreased Akt phosphorylation in the pancreatic and adipose tissues. In vitro, CQCQD protected freshly isolated pancreatic acinar cells from H₂O₂-elicited oxidative stress and necrotic cell death. The docking results of AKT1 and the active compounds related to AKT1 in CQCQD showed high binding affinity. In conclusion, CQCQD ameliorates the severity of OA-AP by activating of the antioxidant protein response and down-regulating of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the pancreas and visceral adipose tissue.

DIA-Based Proteomic Analysis of Plasma Protein Profiles in Patients with Severe Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a pancreatic inflammatory disease that varies greatly in course and severity. To further the understanding of the pathology of AP, we carried out data-independent acquisition-based proteomic analyses using proteins extracted from the plasma of patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) (experimental group) and healthy volunteers (control group). Compared to the control group, there were 35 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the plasma of patients with SAP. Of those, the expression levels for 6 proteins were significantly increased, and 29 proteins were significantly decreased. Moreover, six candidate biomarkers—VWF, ORM2, CD5L, CAT, IGLV3-10, and LTF—were matched as candidate biomarkers of the disease severity of AP. The area under the receiver operating characteristic of 0.903 (95% CI: 0.839, 0.967) indicated that this combination of these six candidate biomarkers had a good prediction accuracy for predicting the severity of AP. Our study provides specific DEPs that may be useful in the diagnosis and prognosis of SAP, which suggests new theoretical bases for the occurrence and development of SAP and offers potential novel treatment strategies for SAP.

Predicting the Need for Therapeutic Intervention and Mortality in Acute Pancreatitis: A Two-Center International Study Using Machine Learning

Background: Current approaches to predicting intervention needs and mortality have reached 65–85% accuracy, which falls below clinical decision-making requirements in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). We aimed to accurately predict therapeutic intervention needs and mortality on admission, in AP patients, using machine learning (ML). Methods: Data were obtained from three databases of patients admitted with AP: one retrospective (Chengdu) and two prospective (Liverpool and Chengdu) databases. Intervention and mortality differences, as well as potential predictors, were investigated. Univariate analysis was conducted, followed by a random forest ML algorithm used in multivariate analysis, to identify predictors. The ML performance matrix was applied to evaluate the model’s performance. Results: Three datasets of 2846 patients included 25 potential clinical predictors in the univariate analysis. The top ten identified predictors were obtained by ML models, for predicting interventions and mortality, from the training dataset. The prediction of interventions includes death in non-intervention patients, validated with high accuracy (96%/98%), the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (0.90/0.98), and positive likelihood ratios (22.3/69.8), respectively. The post-test probabilities in the test set were 55.4% and 71.6%, respectively, which were considerably superior to existing prognostic scores. The ML model, for predicting mortality in intervention patients, performed better or equally with prognostic scores. Conclusions: ML, using admission clinical predictors, can accurately predict therapeutic interventions and mortality in patients with AP.

Probiotics in Critically Ill Patients: An Umbrella Review

Objectives

Data sources

Study selection

Data extraction

Data synthesis

Conclusion

How to cite this article

Gut Dysbiosis in Pancreatic Diseases: A Causative Factor and a Novel Therapeutic Target

Pancreatic-related disorders such as pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) impose a substantial challenge to human health and wellbeing. Even though our understanding of the initiation and progression of pancreatic diseases has broadened over time, no effective therapeutics is yet available for these disorders. Mounting evidence suggests that gut dysbiosis is closely related to human health and disease, and pancreatic diseases are no exception. Now much effort is under way to explore the correlation and eventually potential causation between the gut microbiome and the course of pancreatic diseases, as well as to develop novel preventive and/or therapeutic strategies of targeted microbiome modulation by probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for these multifactorial disorders. Attempts to dissect the intestinal microbial landscape and its metabolic profile might enable deep insight into a holistic picture of these complex conditions. This article aims to review the subtle yet intimate nexus loop between the gut microbiome and pancreatic diseases, with a particular focus on current evidence supporting the feasibility of preventing and controlling pancreatic diseases via microbiome-based therapeutics and therapies.

Pain Management in Acute Pancreatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

Background: Pain management is an important priority in the treatment of acute pancreatitis (AP). Current evidence and guideline recommendations are inconsistent on the most effective analgesic protocol. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of analgesics for pain relief in AP.

Methods: A literature search was performed to identify all RCTs assessing analgesics in patients with AP. The primary outcome was the number of participants who needed rescue analgesia. Study quality was assessed using Jadad score. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) or weighted mean differences (WMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were analysed using a random-effects model.

Results: Twelve studies comprising 699 patients with AP (83% mild AP) were analysed. The tested analgesics significantly decreased the need for rescue analgesia (3 studies, OR.36, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.60) vs. placebo or conventional treatment. The analgesics also improved the pain score [Visual Analogue Scale (Δ-VAS)] at 24 h (WMD 18.46, 0.84 to 36.07) and by the 3rd to 7th days (WMD 11.57, 0.87 to 22.28). Opioids vs. non-opioids were associated with a decrease in the need for rescue analgesia (6 studies, OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.86, p = 0.03) but without significance in pain score. In subgroup analyses, opioids were similar to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) regarding the primary outcome (4 studies, OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.24 to 1.32, p = 0.18). There were no significant differences in other clinical outcomes and rate of adverse events. Other studies, comparing epidural anaesthesia vs. patient-controlled analgesia and opioid (buprenorphine) vs. opioid (pethidine) did not show significant difference in primary outcome. Study quality issues significantly contributed to overall study heterogeneity.

Conclusions: NSAIDs and opioids are equally effective in decreasing the need for rescue analgesia in patients with mild AP. The relative paucity of trials and high-quality data in this setting is notable and the optimal analgesic strategy for patients with moderately severe and severe AP still requires to be determined.

Stress Hyperglycemia Is Independently Associated with Persistent Organ Failure in Acute Pancreatitis

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Stress hyperglycemia is common in critical illness but it has not been clearly studied in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). This study aimed to investigate the specific blood glucose (BG) level that defines stress hyperglycemia and to determine the impact of stress hyperglycemia on clinical outcomes in AP patients.

METHODS

AP patients admitted ≤ 48 h after abdominal pain onset were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were stratified by pre-existing diabetes and stress hyperglycemia was defined using stratified BG levels for non-diabetes and diabetes with clinical outcomes compared.

RESULTS

There were 967 non-diabetic and 114 diabetic (10.5%) patients met the inclusion criteria and the clinical outcomes between these two groups were not significantly different. In non-diabetes, the cut-off BG level of ≥ 180 mg/dl was selected to define stress hyperglycemia with an 8.8-fold higher odds ratio for persistent organ failure (POF) (95% CI 5.4-14.3; P < 0.001). For diabetes, ≥ 300 mg/dl was selected with a 7.5-fold higher odds ratio for POF (95% CI 1.7-34.3; P = 0.009). In multivariable logistic regression, stress hyperglycemia was independently associated with POF, acute necrotic collection, major infection and mortality. The combination of BG and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) score in predicting POF was better than SIRS or Glasgow score alone.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identifies a cut-off BG level of ≥ 180 mg/dl and ≥ 300 mg/dl was optimal to define stress hyperglycemia for non-diabetic and diabetic AP patients, respectively. There was a significant relationship between stress hyperglycemia and adverse clinical outcomes.

Impact of admission and early persistent stress hyperglycaemia on clinical outcomes in acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

To determine the impact of glucose levels at admission and during first week (early phase) on clinical outcomes in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) and to investigate the relationship between stress hyperglycaemia (SHG) and hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG).

METHODS

Two independent and prospective databases were retrospectively analysed (n = 1792). Patients admitted with pain of less than 48 hours and confirmed AP were included. SHG was defined as admission blood glucose ≥ 10.00 mmol/L (non-diabetic) or ≥ 16.67 mmol/L (diabetic). Blood glucose records for the first week were inspected to determine whether SHG lasted ≥ 48 hours (persistent) or < 48 hours (transient). Clinical outcomes were compared between designated patient groups using multivariate and trend analyses. The correlation between SHG and HTG (serum triglyceride ≥ 5.65 mmol/L) was also analysed.

RESULTS

On admission, SHG was present in 27.8% (499/1792) patients; during the first 48 hours of admission, transient and persistent SHG was found in 31% (556/1792) and 8.0% (144/1792) patients, respectively. Admission SHG was associated with higher incidence of persistent organ failure, acute necrotic collection, major infection, and mortality as well as prolonged length of hospital stay (all P < 0.05). Duration of SHG was also associated with worsened clinical outcomes (all P < 0.05). In HTG-AP patients, more severe clinical outcomes were observed in those who concomitantly had SHG (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Admission and persistent SHG during the first week of admission worsens clinical outcomes of AP patients. These effects are more pronounced when admission HTG co-existed.

The Challenges and Effects of Ascorbic Acid Treatment of Acute Pancreatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Preclinical and Clinical Studies

Background: Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis (AP), and ascorbic acid (AA), as an important endogenous antioxidant substance, has been shown to reduce AP severity in preclinical studies. However, the effects of AA supplementation in clinical settings remain controversial. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and SCOPUS databases were searched, and both preclinical and clinical studies were included. For clinical trials, the primary outcome was incidence of organ failure, and for preclinical studies, the primary outcome was histopathological scores of pancreatic injuries. Results: Meta-analysis of clinical trials showed that compared with controls, AA administration did not reduce the incidence of organ failure or mortality during hospitalization but was associated with significantly reduced length of hospital stay. Meta-analysis of preclinical studies showed that AA supplementation reduced pancreatic injury, demonstrated as decreased histological scores and serum amylase, lipase levels. Conclusion: AA administration has no effect on survival or organ failure in patients with AP but may reduce the length of hospital stay. However, the evidence to date remains sparse, scattered, and of suboptimal quality, making it difficult to draw any firm conclusion on the clinical benefits of AA in AP.

Current diagnosis and treatment of acute pancreatitis in China: a real-world, multicenter study

BACKGROUND

Efficacy of pancreatic enzyme inhibitors in acute pancreatitis (AP) is unclear in China.

AIMS

We aimed to present the current status of AP and evaluate the efficacy of pancreatic enzyme inhibitors in a larger population in China.

METHOD

A retrospective, cross-sectional, real-world, multicenter analysis of a large dataset of patients presenting with AP from four hospitals of China over a two-year period was performed. Data were collected from the existing clinical records and the patients were grouped into medication group (somatostatin or octreotide or somatostatin and octreotide) and no medication group. Pair wise propensity score matching was performed for comparing somatostatin, octreotide and somatostatin/octreotide. The end points were incidence of disease complications, organ failure, hospitalization duration, and recovery time taken (hours) for serum amylase/serum lipase to normalcy.

RESULTS

A total of 3900 patients were recruited and 2775 patients were included for analysis. A total of 1100, 661, 676 and 338 patients received either somatostatin or octreotide or somatostatin and octreotide or no medication, respectively. The incidence of complications (7.6% vs 13.6%), organ failure (4.5% vs 7.4%), and the instances of entering ICU (9.3% vs 13.3%) were higher in unmedicated group. Complications at discharge (2.91 times), organ failure (2.53 times), and hospitalization stay were higher in octreotide-treated patients compared with somatostatin-treated patients. In comparison to the octreotide group, the serum amylase/lipase recovery time was shorter in the somatostatin group.

CONCLUSION

This real-world study suggested that the use of pancreatic enzyme inhibitors was positively associated with greater clinical efficacy in AP patients and somatostatin might be more effective than octreotide in real-world settings in China.

Paradoxical relationship between proton pump inhibitors and COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), used to reduce gastric acid secretion, represent one of the most widely used pharmaceutical classes in the world. Their consumption as a risk factor for the evolution of severe forms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been investigated as well as the mortality of these patients. These risks also appear to be linked to the duration and the dosage. On the other hand, several studies have emerged with regard to the protective or therapeutic effects of these drugs. More and more evidence underlines the immunomodulatory and anti-fibrotic role of PPIs. In addition, their ability to alkalize the contents of endosomes and lysosomes serves as an obstacle to the entry of the virus into the host cells.

AIM

To identify studies on the relationship between the intake of PPIs and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection, with the main objective of evaluating the outcomes related to severity and mortality.

METHODS

A literature review was performed in November 2020. The MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE and Google Scholar databases were searched for all relevant articles published in English on this topic. The search terms were identified by means of controlled vocabularies, such as the National Library of Medicine's MESH (Medical Subject Headings) and keywords. The MESH terms and keywords used were as follows: "COVID-19", "proton pump inhibitors", "PPIs", "SARS-CoV-2", "outcomes", "severity" and "mortality". The inclusion criteria regarding the studies considered in our analysis were: meta-analysis, case-control, hospital-based case-control, population-based case-control, retrospective studies, online survey, as well as cohort-studies, while articles not published as full reports, such as conference abstracts, case reports and editorials were excluded. We tried to summarize and pool all the data if available.

RESULTS

A total of 9 studies were found that described the use of PPIs, of which only 5 clearly reported the severity and mortality data in SARS-CoV-2 patients. Our pooled incidence analysis of severe events did not differ between patients with and without PPIs (odds ratio 1.65, 95% confidence interval: 0.62-4.35) (P = 0.314), or for mortality (odds ratio 1.77, 95% confidence interval: 0.62-5.03) (P = 0.286).

CONCLUSION

Detailed and larger case studies are needed to accurately understand the role of PPIs in this viral infection.

Targeting Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor in Acute Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammation and cancer. It is produced by various cells and circulating MIF has been identified as a biomarker for a range of diseases. Extracellular MIF mainly binds to the cluster of differentiation 74 (CD74)/CD44 to activate downstream signaling pathways. These in turn activate immune responses, enhance inflammation and can promote cancer cell proliferation and invasion. Extracellular MIF also binds to the C-X-C chemokine receptors cooperating with or without CD74 to activate chemokine response. Intracellular MIF is involved in Toll-like receptor and inflammasome-mediated inflammatory response. Pharmacological inhibition of MIF has been shown to hold great promise in treating inflammatory diseases and cancer, including small molecule MIF inhibitors targeting the tautomerase active site of MIF and antibodies that neutralize MIF. In the current review, we discuss the role of MIF signaling pathways in inflammation and cancer and summarize the recent advances of the role of MIF in experimental and clinical exocrine pancreatic diseases. We expect to provide insights into clinical translation of MIF antagonism as a strategy for treating acute pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.

Nutrition and Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an acute inflammatory process of the pancreas that is characterized by severe abdominal pain, elevated pancreatic enzymes, and pancreatic changes on abdominal imaging. AP is, by nature, an inflammatory process that leads to protein catabolism and an increased metabolic rate, highlighting the strong need for early nutritional support in the initial management of the disease process. The goal of nutritional support in acute pancreatitis is to correct the negative nitrogen balance to reduce inflammation and improve outcomes. Many trials and multiple systemic reviews and meta-analyses have examined the best modality, timing, and composition of nutritional support for acute pancreatitis. Early enteral nutrition has emerged as an important aspect of the clinical management of AP. This narrative review aimed to provide an overview of the clinical management of nutrition in acute pancreatitis based on the currently available data.

The Role of Endoscopic Transpapillary Stenting of the Main Pancreatic Duct during the Endoscopic Treatment of Pancreatic Fluid Collections

Endotherapy is a recognized, widely available, and minimally invasive treatment method for pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs) formed in the course of acute pancreatitis (AP). The use of endoscopic techniques in the treatment of main pancreatic duct (MPD) disruption due to AP remains unclear. In this article, a comprehensive review of current literature referencing our observations was performed to identify publications on the role of MPD stenting in patients undergoing endoscopic drainage of PFCs resulting from AP. In this paper, we attempt to clarify this most controversial aspect of endotherapy for PFCs based on existing knowledge and our own experience regarding the endoscopic treatment of AP sequelae. Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography should be performed in all patients undergoing endoscopic drainage of walled-off pancreatic necrosis to assess the integrity of the main pancreatic duct and to implement endotherapy if pancreatic duct disruption is detected. Passive transpapillary drainage is an effective method for treating MPD disruption in the course of necrotizing AP and is one of the key components of endoscopic therapy for local pancreatic necrosis. Conversely, in patients with pancreatic pseudocysts, passive transpapillary drainage reduces the effectiveness of endoscopic treatment and should not be used even in cases of MPD disruption during transmural drainage of pancreatic pseudocysts. In conclusion, the use of transpapillary drainage should depend on the type of the PFC. This conclusion is of great clinical importance, as it can help improve the results of pancreatic endotherapy for fluid collections resulting from AP.

Critical thresholds: key to unlocking the door to the prevention and specific treatments for acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP), an acute inflammatory disorder of the exocrine pancreas, is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases encountered in emergency departments with no specific treatments. Laboratory-based research has formed the cornerstone of endeavours to decipher the pathophysiology of AP, because of the limitations of such study in human beings. While this has provided us with substantial understanding, we cannot answer several pressing questions. These are: (a) Why is it that only a minority of individuals with gallstones, or who drink alcohol excessively, or are exposed to other causative factors develop AP? (b) Why do only some develop more severe manifestations of AP with necrosis and/or organ failure? (c) Why have we been unable to find an effective therapeutic for AP? This manuscript provides a state-of-the-art review of our current understanding of the pathophysiology of AP providing insights into the unanswered clinical questions. We describe multiple protective factors operating in most people, and multiple stressors that in a minority induce AP, independently or together, via amplification loops. We present testable hypotheses aimed at halting progression of severity for the development of effective treatments for this common unpredictable disease.

Experimental Acute Pancreatitis Models: History, Current Status, and Role in Translational Research

Acute pancreatitis is a potentially severe inflammatory disease that may be associated with a substantial morbidity and mortality. Currently there is no specific treatment for the disease, which indicates an ongoing demand for research into its pathogenesis and development of new therapeutic strategies. Due to the unpredictable course of acute pancreatitis and relatively concealed anatomical site in the retro-peritoneum, research on the human pancreas remains challenging. As a result, for over the last 100 years studies on the pathogenesis of this disease have heavily relied on animal models. This review aims to summarize different animal models of acute pancreatitis from the past to present and discuss their main characteristics and applications. It identifies key studies that have enhanced our current understanding of the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis and highlights the instrumental role of animal models in translational research for developing novel therapies.

Protective Role of Somatostatin in Sepsis-Induced Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction through Inhibiting the Activation of NF-κB Pathway

Somatostatin (SST) has a protective role in intestinal injury, inflammatory response, and intestinal mucosal barrier in rats with acute pancreatitis. However, its function in sepsis-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction remains largely unknown. A mouse sepsis model was constructed, and SST was injected into the tail vein. Then, hematoxylin and eosin staining (HE) was used to detect the intestinal barrier dysfunction. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the level of tumor necrosis factor α- (TNF-) α, interleukin- (IL-) 6, and interleukin- (IL-) 10 in the ileum. Expressions of tight junction proteins, zonula occludens- (ZO-) 1 and Claudin-1, and NF-κB p65 in the ileum were detected using western blot and immunohistochemistry as needed. Furthermore, JSH-23 as an inhibitor of the NF-κB pathway was injected into sepsis mice with SST or not. Mice with sepsis showed an obvious intestinal barrier dysfunction with decreasing specific somatostatin receptor subtype (SSTRs), and increasing TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 in the ileum. SST could relieve the injury, the decrease of SSTRs, and the increase of TNF-α and IL-6 induced by sepsis and also further enhanced the expression of IL-10. Further analysis showed that ZO-1 and Claudin-1 were reduced in the ileum by sepsis but enhanced by SST. NF-κB p65 was promoted in the ileum by sepsis but inhibited by SST. Further experiments confirmed that NF-κB inhibitor JSH-23 could repair the intestinal barrier dysfunction and enhance the protective effect of SST on the intestinal barrier. SST, with a protective effect on intestinal barrier dysfunction through suppression of NF-κB, could be a potential therapeutic drug for sepsis-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction.

EMC6 regulates acinar apoptosis via APAF1 in acute and chronic pancreatitis

Treatment of acute pancreatitis (AP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP) remains problematic due to a lack of knowledge about disease-specific regulatory targets and mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to screen proteins related to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and apoptosis pathways that may play a role in pancreatitis. Human pancreatic tissues including AP, CP, and healthy volunteers were collected during surgery. Humanized PRSS1 (protease serine 1) transgenic (PRSS1Tg) mice were constructed and treated with caerulein to mimic the development of human AP and CP. Potential regulatory proteins in pancreatitis were identified by proteomic screen using pancreatic tissues of PRSS1Tg AP mice. Adenoviral shRNA-mediated knockdown of identified proteins, followed by functional assays was performed to validate their roles. Functional analyses included transmission electron microscopy for ultrastructural analysis; qRT-PCR, western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence for assessment of gene or protein expression, and TUNEL assays for assessment of acinar cell apoptosis. Humanized PRSS1Tg mice could mimic the development of human pancreatic inflammatory diseases. EMC6 and APAF1 were identified as potential regulatory molecules in AP and CP models by proteomic analysis. Both EMC6 and APAF1 regulated apoptosis and inflammatory injury in pancreatic inflammatory diseases. Moreover, APAF1 was regulated by EMC6, induced apoptosis to injure acinar cells and promoted inflammation. In the progression of pancreatitis, EMC6 was activated and then upregulated APAF1 to induce acinar cell apoptosis and inflammatory injury. These findings suggest that EMC6 may be a new therapeutic target for the treatment of pancreatic inflammatory diseases.

Early Rapid Fluid Therapy Is Associated with Increased Rate of Noninvasive Positive-Pressure Ventilation in Hemoconcentrated Patients with Severe Acute Pancreatitis

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Hematocrit is a widely used biomarker to guide early fluid therapy for patients with acute pancreatitis (AP), but there is controversy over whether early rapid fluid therapy (ERFT) should be used in hemoconcentrated patients. This study investigated the association of hematocrit and ERFT with clinical outcomes of patients with AP.

METHODS

Data from prospectively maintained AP database and retrospectively collected fluid management details were stratified according to actual severity defined by revised Atlanta classification. Hemoconcentration and "early" were defined as hematocrit > 44% and the first 6 h of general ward admission, respectively, and "rapid" fluid rate was defined as ≥ 3 ml/kg/h. Patients were allocated into 4 groups for comparisons: group A, hematocrit ≤ 44% and fluid rate < 3 ml/kg/h; group B, hematocrit ≤ 44% and fluid rate ≥ 3 ml/kg/h; group C, hematocrit > 44% and fluid rate < 3 ml/kg/h; and group D, hematocrit > 44% and fluid rate ≥ 3 ml/kg/h. Primary outcome was rate of noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (NPPV).

RESULTS

A total of 912 consecutive AP patients were analyzed. ERFT has no impact on clinical outcomes of hemoconcentrated, non-severe or all non-hemoconcentrated AP patients. In hemoconcentrated patients with severe AP (SAP), ERFT was accompanied with increased risk of NPPV (odds ratio 5.96, 95% CI 1.57-22.6). Multivariate regression analyses confirmed ERFT and hemoconcentration were significantly and independently associated with persistent organ failure and mortality in patients with SAP.

CONCLUSIONS

ERFT is associated with increased rate of NPPV in hemoconcentrated patients with SAP.

Hemoconcentration is associated with early faster fluid rate and increased risk of persistent organ failure in acute pancreatitis patients

BACKGROUND

Controversies existed surrounding the use of hematocrit to guide early fluid therapy in acute pancreatitis (AP). The association between hematocrit, early fluid therapy, and clinical outcomes in ward AP patients needs to be investigated.

METHODS

Data from prospectively maintained AP database and retrospectively collected details of fluid therapy were analyzed. Patients were stratified into three groups: Group 1, hematocrit < 44% both at admission and at 24 h thereafter; Group 2: regardless of admission level, hematocrit increased and >44% at 24 h; Group 3: hematocrit >44% on admission and decreased thereafter during first 24 h. "Early" means first 24 h after admission. Baseline characteristics, early fluid rates, and clinical outcomes of the three groups were compared.

RESULTS

Among the 628 patients, Group 3 had a higher hematocrit level, greater baseline predicted severity, faster fluid rate, and more fluid volume in the first 24 h compared with Group 1 or 2. Group 3 had an increased risk for persistent organ failure (POF; odds ratio 2, 95% confidence interval [1.1-3.8], P = 0.03) compared with Group 1 after adjusting for difference in baseline clinical severity scores, there was no difference between Group 2 and Group 3 or Group 1. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that hemoconcentration and early faster fluid rate were risk factors for POF and mortality (both P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Hemoconcentration is associated with faster fluid rate and POF in ward AP patients. Randomized trials comparing standardized early fast and slow fluid management is warranted.

ATF6 aggravates acinar cell apoptosis and injury by regulating p53/AIFM2 transcription in Severe Acute Pancreatitis

Background: There is no curative therapy for severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) due to poor understanding of its molecular mechanisms. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is involved in SAP and increased expression of ATF6 has been detected in SAP patients. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of ATF6 in a preclinical SAP mouse model and characterize its regulatory mechanism. Methods: Pancreatic tissues of healthy and SAP patients were collected during surgery. Humanized PRSS1 transgenic mice were treated with caerulein to mimic the SAP development, which was crossed to an ATF6 knockout mouse line, and pancreatic tissues from the resulting pups were screened by proteomics. Adenovirus-mediated delivery to the pancreas of SAP mice was used for shRNA-based knockdown or overexpression. The potential functions and mechanisms of ATF6 were clarified by immunofluorescence, immunoelectron microscopy, Western blotting, qRT-PCR, ChIP-qPCR and luciferase reporter assay. Results: Increased expression of ATF6 was associated with elevated apoptosis, ER and mitochondrial disorder in pancreatic tissues from SAP patients and PRSS1 mice. Knockout of ATF6 in SAP mice attenuated acinar injury, apoptosis and ER disorder. AIFM2, known as a p53 target gene, was identified as a downstream regulatory partner of ATF6, whose expression was increased in SAP. Functionally, AIFM2 could reestablish the pathological disorder in SAP tissues in the absence of ATF6. p53 expression was also increased in SAP mice, which was downregulated by ATF6 knockout. p53 knockout significantly suppressed acinar apoptosis and injury in SAP model. Mechanistically, ATF6 promoted AIFM2 transcription by binding to p53 and AIFM2 promoters. Conclusion: These results reveal that ATF6/p53/AIFM2 pathway plays a critical role in acinar apoptosis during SAP progression, highlighting novel therapeutic target molecules for SAP.

Mogroside IIE Inhibits Digestive Enzymes via Suppression of Interleukin 9/Interleukin 9 Receptor Signalling in Acute Pancreatitis

The incidence of pancreatitis (AP) is increasing and there is no specific treatment available. Intracellular digestive enzyme activation is a key event in the pathogenesis of AP downstream of cytosolic calcium overload and impaired autophagy. Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) was used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to reduce inflammation and facilitate bowel movement. The bioactive components of this plant show hypolipedimic, antidiabetic, antifibrotic activity and have been used against pancreatic cancer. Here, we examined whether mogroside II_E, a major bioactive component of unripe S. grosvenorii fruit, can protect against AP. We found that mogroside II_E decreased the activity of trypsin and cathepsin B induced by cerulein plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the pancreatic acinar cell line AR42J and primary acinar cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Mogroside II_E treatment decreased the levels of serum lipase and serum amylase in mice injected with cerulein plus LPS without influencing inflammation significantly. A multi-cytokine array revealed that mogroside II_E decreased the level of interleukin 9 (IL-9) in AP mice. Exogenous IL-9 eliminated the mogroside II_E induced reduction of trypsin and cathepsin B activity and reversed the inhibition of cytosolic calcium and modulation of autophagy mediated by mogroside II_E. An IL-9 receptor antibody neutralized the effect of IL-9, restoring mogroside II_E activity. The mogroside II_E targeted IL-9 may partially arise from Th9 cells. Taken together, we provide experimental evidence that mogroside II_E ameliorates AP in cell models and mice through downregulation of the IL-9/IL-9 receptor pathway.

Nutrition management in acute pancreatitis: Clinical practice consideration

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common gastrointestinal disease and the leading cause of hospital admission and healthcare burden among gastrointestinal disorders in many countries. Patients can present with varying degrees of inflammation and disease severity, ranging from self-limiting mild AP to devastating and fatal severe AP. Many factors contribute to malnutrition in AP, especially abnormal metabolism and catabolism related to inflammation. The concept of “pancreatic rest” is not evidence-based. There is however, emerging evidence that supports the use of oral or enteral nutrition to improve nutrition status and to reduce local and systemic inflammation, complications, and death. In mild disease, patients are generally able to initiate solid oral diet and do not require specialized nutrition care such as enteral or parenteral nutrition. In contrast, nutrition interventions are imperative in moderately severe and severe AP. The current article aims to review the latest evidence and suggest practical nutrition interventions in patients with AP, including nutrition requirements, routes of nutrition treatment, types of formula, and the role of nutritional supplements, such as glutamine, probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants.

Gabexate mesilate ameliorates the neuropathic pain in a rat model by inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide pathway via suppression of nuclear factor-κB

BACKGROUND

This study examined the effects of gabexate mesilate on spinal nerve ligation (SNL)-induced neuropathic pain. To confirm the involvement of gabexate mesilate on neuroinflammation, we focused on the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and consequent the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS).

METHODS

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used for the study. After randomization into three groups: the sham-operation group, vehicle-treated group (administered normal saline as a control), and the gabexate group (administered gabexate mesilate 20 mg/kg), SNL was performed. At the 3rd day, mechanical allodynia was confirmed using von Frey filaments, and drugs were administered intraperitoneally daily according to the group. The paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) was examined on the 3rd, 7th, and 14th day. The expressions of p65 subunit of NF-κB, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and iNOS were evaluated on the 7th and 14th day following SNL.

RESULTS

The PWT was significantly higher in the gabexate group compared with the vehicle-treated group (P < 0.05). The expressions of p65, proinflammatory cytokines, and iNOS significantly decreased in the gabexate group compared with the vehicle-treated group (P < 0.05) on the 7th day. On the 14th day, the expressions of p65 and iNOS showed lower levels, but those of the proinflammatory cytokines showed no significant differences.

CONCLUSIONS

Gabexate mesilate increased PWT after SNL and attenuate the progress of mechanical allodynia. These results seem to be involved with the anti-inflammatory effect of gabexate mesilate via inhibition of NF-κB, proinflammatory cytokines, and nitric oxide.

Ulinastatin Reduces the Severity of Intestinal Damage in the Neonatal Rat Model of Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Background

Ulinastatin is a protease inhibitor derived from urine that has shown anti-inflammatory effects in human disease, including in sepsis. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a common gastrointestinal disease in premature infants. Our aim was to explore the effects of ulinastatin on a neonatal NEC rat model.

Material/Methods

Forty-five neonatal rats were divided into 3 groups: normal control; NEC+sepsis-induced kidney injury (SIRS); NEC/SIRS+ulinastatin. The NEC/SIRS model was induced by injection of intraperitoneal saline, enteral formula feeding, hypoxia-hyperoxide, and cold stress exposure. The NEC/SIRS neonatal rats were perfused with ulinastatin at a dose of 10 000 u/kg/day. Giemsa staining and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) were performed to evaluate the severity of intestinal damage. To assess intestinal cell apoptosis, we examined the expression of caspase-3 by TUNEL staining and western blot analysis. Intestinal levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) were examined using ELISA assay.

Results

Rats in the NEC treated with ulinastatin group had better physiological status and histological score compared to the NEC/SIRS group. Ulinastatin reduced NEC-induced weight loss. Macroscopic and microscopic morphology analyses showed that rats in the NEC treated with ulinastatin group had lower severity of intestinal damage compared to the NEC/SIRS group. TUNEL staining and caspase-3 expression detection results revealed that ulinastatin significantly inhibited intestinal cell apoptosis of NEC. Furthermore, ulinastatin decreased the intestinal levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in NEC.

Conclusions

Ulinastatin could ameliorate the severity of intestinal damage in NEC and possess anti-apoptosis and anti-inflammation effects.

Ward-based Goal-Directed Fluid Therapy (GDFT) in Acute Pancreatitis (GAP) trial: study protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease of the pancreas with high risk of developing multiorgan failure and death. There are no effective pharmacological interventions used in current clinical practice. Maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance is the mainstay of supportive management. Goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) has been shown to decrease morbidity and mortality in surgical conditions with systemic inflammatory response. There is currently no randomised controlled trial (RCT) investigating the role of GDFT based on cardiac output parameters in patients with acute pancreatitis in the ward setting. A feasibility trial was designed to determine patient and clinician support for recruitment into an RCT of ward-based GDFT in acute pancreatitis, adherence to a GDFT protocol, safety, participant withdrawal, and to determine appropriate endpoints for a subsequent larger trial to evaluate efficacy.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The GDFT in Acute Pancreatitis trial is a prospective two-centre feasibility RCT. Eligible adults admitted with new onset of acute pancreatitis will be enrolled and randomised into ward-based GDFT (n=25) or standard fluid therapy (n=25) within 6 hours from the diagnosis and continuing for the following 48 hours. Cardiac output parameters will be monitored with a non-invasive device (Cheetah NICOM; Cheetah Medical). The intervention group will consist of a protocolised GDFT approach consisting of stroke volume optimisation with crystalloid fluid boluses, while the control group will receive standard care fluid therapy as advised by the clinical team. The primary endpoint is feasibility. Secondary endpoints will include safety of the intervention, complications, mortality, admission to intensive care unit, cost and quality of life.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval was granted by the London Central Research Ethics Committee (17/LO/1235, project ID: 221872). The results of this trial will be presented to international conference with interest in general surgery and acute care and published in a peer-reviewed journal.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ISRCTN36077283.

Acute pancreatitis in children on chronic maintenance dialysis

Patients on dialysis are exposed to a series of factors that are known to be associated with risk of acute pancreatitis (AP), including medications, hyperparathyroidism, hypercalcemia, and hypertriglyceridemia; the role of the dialysis modality itself is still debated. Data regarding AP in children on chronic dialysis are scarce. Data from the Italian Registry of Pediatric Chronic Dialysis (IRPCD) confirm that children on dialysis have a significant increased relative risk (RR) for AP as compared with the general pediatric population (RR 60.4; 95% CI 3.2-214). Diagnosis of AP in patients on dialysis may be troublesome, because it can mimic other acute intraabdominal conditions and the role of serum pancreatic enzyme assays may be confounding. In this setting, instrumental imaging is mandatory. Conservative management such as fluid, bowel rest, and antibiotics is the mainstay of AP management, as necrotizing forms are rare. Mortality in the series of 12 patients from the IRPCD was high (25%), but deaths were not directly related to AP. Adult case series confirm that mortality among patients on dialysis who develop AP is highly variable (8-58%), but higher as compared to 10% mortality from AP in non-renal failure patients.

Practical guide to the management of acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is characterised by inflammation of the exocrine pancreas and is associated with acinar cell injury and both a local and systemic inflammatory response. AP may range in severity from self-limiting, characterised by mild pancreatic oedema, to severe systemic inflammation with pancreatic necrosis, organ failure and death. Several international guidelines have been developed including those from the joint International Association of Pancreatology and American Pancreatic Association, American College of Gastroenterology and British Society of Gastroenterology. Here we discuss current diagnostic and management challenges and address the common dilemmas in AP.

Supplemented Use of Pre-, Pro-, and Synbiotics in Severe Acute Pancreatitis: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 13 Randomized Controlled Trials

Introduction: The role of pre-, pro-, and synbiotics supplemented to standard enteral nutrition in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) remains unclear. We performed this updated meta-analysis to determine the value of pre-, pro- and synbiotics supplemented to standard enteral nutrition in predicted SAP.

Methods: A systematic search in PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases was performed. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the effects of pre-, pro-, and synbiotics supplemented to standard enteral nutrition with control regime in predicted SAP patients. Risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were used to express the estimates of dichotomous and continuous data respectively.

Results: 13 RCTs comprising an aggregate total of 950 patients were eventually enrolled. Pooled results suggested that supplemented use of pre-, pro- and synbiotics effectively shorten the length of hospital stay in Chinese SAP cohorts (6 RCTs, MD = −5.57, 95% CI = −8.21 to −2.93, P < 0.001); however significant differences with regard to remaining clinical outcomes were not detected for all patients. Further analysis based on category of interventions including pre-, pro- and synbiotics also confirmed the findings to be reliable.

Conclusions: Supplemented use of pre-, pro and synbiotics reduced the length of hospital stay in Chinese SAP cohorts. And thus, we concluded that pre-, pro- and synbiotics supplemented to standard enteral nutrition may be a potential option for the treatment of SAP patients. However, we also suggest designing further studies with large-scale and rigorous methods of addressing data to establish the effects and safety of supplemented use of pre-, pro- and synbiotics for SAP patients due to the presence of limitations.