Effect of intraduodenal lidocaine infusion on experimental acute pancreatitis

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of intraduodenal lidocaine infusion in early stages on experimental acute pancreatitis induced by pancreatic bile duct ligation. Methods: We studied Wistar rats induced by pancreatic-bile duct ligation. In Group I, pancreatic bile duct was ligated, intraduodenal physiological solution was infused during a period of 2 h and serum amylase concentration was determined. Group II was sham operated. Group III was sham operated with lidocaine infusion. Group IV rats were operated on as mentioned. Intraduodenal infusion of 2% lidocaine was given at a dose of 5.8 mg/kg/body weight every 10 min over a 240-min period. Group V was operated on and infused with lidocaine in a similar manner to group II, but the third determination of serum amylase was made 1 h after suspending the lidocaine infusion. All rats were sacrificed and histopathological study of the pancreas was performed. Results: Experimental hemorrhagic pancreatitis can be induced by pancreatic bile duct ligation, which was corroborated by increasing serum amylase levels and histopathological lesions. Lidocaine infusion can significantly decrease amylase activity (p < 0.0001) and pancreatic lesions (p < 0.0001). Interruption of lidocaine infusion produced a significant increase in plasma amylase levels (p < 0.001) and only improved inflammatory pancreatic lesions (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Ligature of the common pancreatic bile duct is an experimental model of acute pancreatitis in rats, confirmed by histological and biochemical methods. Treatment with infusion of intraduodenal lidocaine reversibly improves the biochemical and histopathological course of experimental acute pancreatitis.