Antioxidants as a treatment for acute pancreatitis: A meta-analysis

Nutrition therapy in critically ill patients with severe acute pancreatitis

A significant proportion of patients (10%-20%) with acute pancreatitis develop severe acute pancreatitis characterized by pancreatic necrosis, systemic inflammation, and organ failure, commonly requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. In this specific population, nutrition therapy is more challenging than that in the general ICU population, primarily because of inevitable gastrointestinal involvement by pancreatic inflammation. In this review, we discussed several key aspects of nutrition therapy in this population, including key pathophysiology that may impede nutrition therapy, the timing and implementation of enteral nutrition and parenteral nutrition, the importance of specific nutrient supplements, and the long-term outcomes that may be addressed by nutrition therapy.

ESPEN practical guideline on clinical nutrition in acute and chronic pancreatitis

Both acute and chronic pancreatitis are frequent diseases of the pancreas, which, despite being of benign nature, are related to a significant risk of malnutrition and may require nutritional support. Acute necrotizing pancreatitis is encountered in 20 % of patients with acute pancreatitis, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, and may require artificial nutrition by enteral or parenteral route, as well as additional endoscopic, radiological or surgical interventions. Chronic pancreatitis represents a chronic inflammation of the pancreatic gland with development of fibrosis. Abdominal pain leading to decreased oral intake, as well as exocrine and endocrine failure are frequent complications of the disease. All of the above represent risk factors related to malnutrition. Therefore, patients with chronic pancreatitis should be considered at risk, screened and supplemented accordingly. Moreover, osteoporosis and increased facture risk should be acknowledged in patients with chronic pancreatitis, and preventive measures should be considered.

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.

Trends and recent developments in pharmacotherapy of acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP), a complex inflammatory disease of the pancreas, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Currently, no specific therapies are approved for its treatment, and management is primarily based on supportive care. Despite enhanced understanding of AP pathogenesis, patients remain at significant risk owing to a lack of targeted drug treatments. Therefore, there is an urgent need for effective pharmacological therapeutic measures which may inhibit the early systemic inflammation, thereby preventing subsequent organ failure. This narrative review summarizes the available treatment options for AP and highlights the potential drug classes and pharmacologic therapies including those under clinical development. Although, several therapies targeting different aspects of AP pathogenesis have been investigated, some therapies with promising preclinical activity have been rendered ineffective in clinical trials. Other novel drug classes or molecules including dabigatran (anticoagulant), ulinastatin (protease inhibitor), infliximab (monoclonal antibody), spautin-A41 (autophagy inhibitor), and CM4620-Injectible Emulsion (calcium channel inhibitor) await further clinical assessment. Alternative treatment options using stem cells and nanoparticles are also being explored and may hold promise for AP therapy. However, challenges for exploring targeted treatment approaches include disease complexity, timing of therapeutic intervention, and establishing appropriate clinical endpoints. Understanding the role of specific biomarkers may help in identifying appropriate targets for drug discovery and facilitate determining relevant clinical study endpoints to monitor disease severity and progression, thereby aiding in design of more precise therapies with improved clinical outcomes.

Parenteral Nutrition Overview

Parenteral nutrition (PN) is a life-saving intervention for patients where oral or enteral nutrition (EN) cannot be achieved or is not acceptable. The essential components of PN are carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, vitamins, trace elements, electrolytes and water. PN should be provided via a central line because of its hypertonicity. However, peripheral PN (with lower nutrient content and larger volume) can be administered via an appropriate non-central line. There are alternatives for the compounding process also, including hospital pharmacy compounded bags and commercial multichamber bags. PN is a costly therapy and has been associated with complications. Metabolic complications related to macro and micronutrient disturbances, such as hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and electrolyte imbalance, may occur at any time during PN therapy, as well as infectious complications, mostly related to venous access. Long-term complications, such as hepatobiliary and bone disease are associated with longer PN therapy and home-PN. To prevent and mitigate potential complications, the optimal monitoring and early management of imbalances is required. PN should be prescribed for malnourished patients or high-risk patients with malnutrition where the feasibility of full EN is in question. Several factors should be considered when providing PN, including timing of initiation, clinical status, and risk of complications.

Peripheral biomarkers of oxidative stress in dogs with acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Oxidative stress is considered a pathomechanism of acute pancreatitis (AP), but no studies have extensively characterized oxidant status in dogs with naturally-occurring AP.

HYPOTHESIS OR OBJECTIVES

Evaluate measures of oxidant status in dogs with AP and explore whether these measures correlate with AP severity.

ANIMALS

Fifteen dogs with AP and 9 control dogs.

METHODS

Prospective, controlled observational study. Plasma reactive metabolite (RM) concentrations, antioxidant potential (AOP), and urinary F₂ isoprostane concentrations were measured in AP dogs and healthy controls. Severity of AP was assessed by length of hospitalization and 3 disease severity indices: canine acute pancreatitis severity (CAPS), modified canine activity index (M-CAI), and the acute patient physiologic and laboratory evaluation score (APPLE_full ).

RESULTS

Reactive metabolite (RM) concentrations (median, 65 relative fluorescent units [RFU]/μL; range, 20-331 RFU/μL) and RM:AOP (median, 7; range, 4-109) were higher in AP dogs than healthy controls (median RM, 25 RFU/μL; range, 16-41 RFU/μL; median RM:AOP, 4; range, 2-7; P < .001 for both comparisons). Reactive metabolite (r_S  = 0.603, P = .08) and RM:AOP (r_S  = 0.491, P = .06) were not correlated with the duration of hospitalization or disease severity indices evaluated. However, disease severity indices did not predict mortality in our study. Normalized urine 2,3-dinor-8-iso-prostaglandin F2α concentrations were correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP; r_S  = 0.491, P = .03), canine specific pancreatic lipase (Spec cPL; r_S  = 0.746, P = .002), and CAPS (r_S  = 0.603, P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE

Oxidant status is altered in dogs with naturally occurring AP, but the clinical relevance of this finding is unknown.

Guidelines for the management of patients with severe acute pancreatitis, 2021

OBJECTIVE

To provide guidelines for the management of the intensive care patient with severe acute pancreatitis.

DESIGN

A consensus committee of 22 experts was convened. A formal conflict-of-interest (COI) policy was developed at the beginning of the process and enforced throughout. The entire guideline construction process was conducted independently of any industrial funding (i.e. pharmaceutical, medical devices). The authors were required to follow the rules of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE®) system to guide assessment of quality of evidence. The potential drawbacks of making strong recommendations in the presence of low-quality evidence were emphasised.

METHODS

The most recent SFAR and SNFGE guidelines on the management of the patient with severe pancreatitis were published in 2001. The literature now is sufficient for an update. The committee studied 14 questions within 3 fields. Each question was formulated in a PICO (Patients Intervention Comparison Outcome) format and the relevant evidence profiles were produced. The literature review and recommendations were made according to the GRADE® methodology.

RESULTS

The experts' synthesis work and their application of the GRADE® method resulted in 24 recommendations. Among the formalised recommendations, 8 have high levels of evidence (GRADE 1+/-) and 12 have moderate levels of evidence (GRADE 2+/-). For 4 recommendations, the GRADE method could not be applied, resulting in expert opinions. Four questions did not find any response in the literature. After one round of scoring, strong agreement was reached for all the recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS

There was strong agreement among experts for 24 recommendations to improve practices for the management of intensive care patients with severe acute pancreatitis.

Plasmatic Oxidative and Metabonomic Profile of Patients with Different Degrees of Biliary Acute Pancreatitis Severity

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory process of the pancreas with variable involvement of the pancreatic and peripancreatic tissues and remote organ systems. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the inflammatory biomarkers, oxidative stress (OS), and plasma metabolome of patients with different degrees of biliary AP severity to improve its prognosis. Twenty-nine patients with biliary AP and 11 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. We analyzed several inflammatory biomarkers, multifactorial scores, reactive oxygen species (ROS), antioxidants defenses, and the plasma metabolome of biliary AP and healthy controls. Hepcidin (1.00), CRP (0.94), and SIRI (0.87) were the most accurate serological biomarkers of AP severity. OS played a pivotal role in the initial phase of AP, with significant changes in ROS and antioxidant defenses relating to AP severity. Phenylalanine (p < 0.05), threonine (p < 0.05), and lipids (p < 0.01) showed significant changes in AP severity. The role of hepcidin and SIRI were confirmed as new prognostic biomarkers of biliary AP. OS appears to have a role in the onset and progression of the AP process. Overall, this study identified several metabolites that may predict the onset and progression of biliary AP severity, constituting the first metabonomic study in the field of biliary AP.

Granny Smith Apple Extract Lowers Inflammation and Improves Antioxidant Status in L-arginine-induced Exocrine Pancreatic Dysfunction in Rats

Objectives

Granny Smith is a cultivated hybrid variety of apple with a high antioxidant content relative to all other species of apple. Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an instantly emerging inflammatory condition with a high mortality rate. The preferred treatment is restricted to symptomatic relief and supportive care. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the favorable effects of Granny Smith apple extract (GSAE) as a prophylactic treatment for L-arginine-induced AP in rats.

Materials and Methods

Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided in to five groups (n=6): Normal control (saline), disease control (a single dose of L-arginine 2.5 g/kg I.P.), positive control (pelatonin 10 mg/kg I.P.), and GSAE I and II (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg, orally, respectively). All groups were treated for 7 days. At the end of the study, blood samples were collected from the retro-orbital plexus, serum separated, and subjected to estimation of biomarker enzymes such as amylase, lipase, antioxidant enzymes, etc. The animals were then sacrificed, and the pancreas was isolated and subjected to estimation of tissue biomarkers, DNA fragmentation assay, and histopathological studies.

Results

Serum levels of amylase and lipase were significantly (p<0.001) reduced in L-arginine-treated rats. Similar results were also observed with tissue inflammatory markers such as malondialdehyde, nitrate, etc. There was a dramatic increase (p<0.001) in the overall antioxidant enzyme levels when compared with disease control rats. Histopathological examination of pancreatic tissue showed an intact structural feature of acinar cells in the extract-treated group of rats, which was further in pact with the intact DNA found in the DNA fragmentation assay.

Conclusion

Thus, GSAE treatment was found to be beneficial in lowering the inflammatory conditions of AP by improving the overall antioxidant levels, and a further investigation into its exact molecular mechanism is needed.

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.

Ethyl pyruvate treatment ameliorates pancreatic damage: evidence from a rat model of acute necrotizing pancreatitis

INTRODUCTION

Ethyl pyruvate (EP), a natural flavoring and fragrance agent, has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions. We tested the potential beneficial effects of EP in a rat model of acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP), a serious condition with a significant inflammatory explosion and oxidative stress.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Fifty-two adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: sham + saline, sham + EP, ANP + saline, and ANP + EP. The ANP was induced by glycodeoxycholic acid and cerulein. Animals were sacrificed at 48 h and biochemical, hematological, and histological markers of ANP and inflammation were assessed. The extent of mortality, systemic cardiorespiratory variables, pancreatic microcirculation, renal/hepatic functions, acinar cell injury and enzyme markers for pancreas and lung tissues were investigated.

RESULTS

The EP-treated ANP group presented significantly lower mortality than the untreated ANP group (44% (7/16) vs. 19% (3/16), respectively, p < 0.05). Administration of EP resulted in significantly lower levels of IL-6 (ANP + saline: 5470 ±280 vs. ANP + EP: 2250 ±180 pg/ml, p < 0.05). Compared with the ANP group, the ANP + EP group had a lower pancreatic necrosis score (1.45 ±0.2 vs. 0.96 ±0.2, p < 0.05). Moreover, intraperitoneal EP administration had a positive effect on most indices of pancreatitis (amylase and alanine transaminase levels) and lung damage (except lung malondialdehyde levels) as they decreased towards baseline values.

CONCLUSIONS

The results from this experimental study indicate that EP, a nontoxic chemical approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a food additive, provides positive effects on the course of pancreatitis, suggesting potential usefulness in management of ANP.

Dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis in acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The dynamic thiol/disulfide homeostasis plays pivotal roles in many physiological mechanisms in an organism. We aimed to investigate whether dynamic thiol/disulfide homeostasis changes among patients with acute pancreatitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective trial contained 45 patients with acute pancreatitis and 45 sex-and age-matched healthy volunteers as control group. Thiol/disulfide homeostasis parameters were measured by a novel and automated assay, and detected results were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Disulfide/total thiol percent ratio and disulfide/native thiol percent ratios were significantly higher in acute pancreatitis group; besides the native thiol, total thiol levels and native thiol/total thiol percent ratios were significantly lower (for all p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The thiol/disulfide homeostasis is impaired in acute pancreatitis with a shift toward the oxidative status, and this deficiency might be a pathogenic factor in acute pancreatitis. The correction of this thiol/disulfide imbalance may be a new target in the management of acute pancreatitis.

Strategies to decrease oxidative stress biomarker levels in human medical conditions: A meta-analysis on 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α

The widespread detection of elevated oxidative stress levels in many medical conditions has led to numerous efforts to design interventions to reduce its effects. Efforts have been wide-ranging, from dietary changes to administration of antioxidants, supplements, e.g., omega-3-fatty acids, and many medications. However, there is still no systemic assessment of the efficacy of treatments for oxidative stress reduction across a variety of medical conditions. The goal of this meta-analysis is, by combining multiple studies, to quantitate the change in the levels of the popular oxidative stress biomarker 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF2α) after a variety of treatment strategies in human populations. Nearly 350 unique publications with 180 distinct strategies were included in the analysis. For each strategy, the difference between pre- or placebo and post-treatment levels calculated using Hedges' g value of effect. In general, administration of antibiotics, antihyperlipidemic agents, or changes in lifestyle (g = - 0.63, - 0.54, and 0.56) had the largest effect. Administration of supplements, antioxidants, or changes in diet (g = - 0.09, - 0.28, - 0.12) had small quantitative effects. To fully interpret the effectiveness of these treatments, comparisons to the increase in g value for each medical condition is required. For example, antioxidants in populations with coronary artery disease (CAD) reduce the 8-iso-PGF2α levels by g = - 0.34 ± 0.1, which is quantitatively considered a small effect. However, CAD populations, in comparison to healthy populations, have an increase in 8-iso-PGF2α levels by g = 0.38 ± 0.04; therefore, the overall reduction of 8-iso-PGF2α levels is ≈ 90% by this treatment in this specific medical condition. In conclusion, 8-iso-PGF2α levels can be reduced not only by antioxidants but by many other strategies. Not all strategies are equally effective at reducing 8-iso-PGF2α levels. In addition, the effectiveness of any strategy can be assessed only in relation to the medical condition investigated.

Recent Advances on Nutrition in Treatment of Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common abdominal acute inflammatory disorder and the leading cause of hospital admission for gastrointestinal disorders in many countries. Clinical manifestations of AP vary from self-limiting local inflammation to devastating systemic pathological conditions causing significant morbidity and mortality. To date, despite extensive efforts in translating promising experimental therapeutic targets in clinical trials, disease-specific effective remedy remains obscure, and supportive care has still been the primary treatment for this disease. Emerging evidence, in light of the current state of pathophysiology of AP, has highlighted that strategic initiation of nutrition with appropriate nutrient supplementation are key to limit local inflammation and to prevent or manage AP-associated complications. The current review focuses on recent advances on nutritional interventions including enteral versus parenteral nutrition strategies, and nutritional supplements such as probiotics, glutamine, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins in clinical AP, hoping to advance current knowledge and practice related to nutrition and nutritional supplements in clinical management of AP.

The Analgesic Effect of the Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidant SkQ1 in Pancreatic Inflammation

Background. Chronic pancreatitis is one of the main risk factors for pancreatic cancer. In acute and chronic pancreatitis, oxidative stress is thought to play a key role. In this respect, the recently described mitochondria-targeted antioxidant SkQ1 effectively scavenges reactive oxygen species at nanomolar concentrations. Therefore, we aimed to characterize the influence of SkQ1 on tissue injury and pain in acute and chronic pancreatitis. Methods. Both acute and chronic pancreatitis were induced in C57BL/6 mice by intraperitoneal cerulein injections and treatment with SkQ1 was carried out by peroral applications. Hyperalgesia was assessed by behavioral observation and measurement of abdominal mechanical sensitivity. Blood serum and pancreatic tissue were harvested for analysis of lipase and histology. Results. SkQ1 did not influence pain, serological, or histological parameters of tissue injury in acute pancreatitis. In chronic pancreatitis, a highly significant reduction of pain-related behavior (p < 0.0001) was evident, but histological grading revealed increased tissue injury in SkQ1-treated animals (p = 0.03). Conclusion. After SkQ1 treatment, tissue injury is not ameliorated in acute pancreatitis and increased in chronic pancreatitis. However, we show an analgesic effect in chronic pancreatitis. Further studies will need to elucidate the risks and benefits of mitochondria-targeted antioxidants as an analgesic.

[Recent Advances in Management of Acute Pancreatitis]

Acute pancreatitis is common but remains a condition with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite a better understanding of the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis achieved during the past few decades, there is no specific pharmacologic entity available. Therefore, supportive care is still the mainstay of treatment. Recently, novel interventions for increasing survival and minimizing morbidity have been investigated, which are highlighted in this review.