Abstracts of the Netherlands Society of Gastroenterology and the Netherlands Society of Hepatology: Spring Meeting, March 23–24, 2006

Background Mortality during severe acute pancreatitis generally occurs early or late. Early mortality occurs as a consequence of fulminant systemic inflammation, whereas late mortality can be attributed to secondary infection of necrotic pancreatic tissue. Aims of this study were to correlate plasma levels of various cytokines and chemokines to outcome, and secondly, to assess the effect of probiotic modulation of intestinal flora on systemic cytokine levels. Materials and methods Pancreatitis was induced in rats by intraductal infusion of bile salt followed by i.v. cerulein hyperstimulation. Rats were administered a mixture of 6 probiotic strains ( Ecologic ® 641) or placebo for five days prior to and seven days after induction of pancreatitis. Plasma cytokine levels were determined before, and 6 hours, 24 hours and 7 days after induction of pancreatitis. Total bacterial counts were performed by cultivation as well as by cultivation-independent rt-PCR in pancreatic necrosis at day 7.