RESUMO
Lung injury develop in up to 50-70 percent of patients with acute pancreatitis. Cerulein in physiological doses reduces the rate mortality of pancreatitis by decreasing the enzyme content of the pancreas. In order to assess the effect of acute reduction of pancreatic enzyme content on the pancreatitis pulmonary injury, pancreatitis was induced in Wistar rats by intraductal injection of 5 per cent sodium taurocholate: group I, with pancreatitis; group II, pancreatitis after decreasing pancreatic enzyme content; group III, control group. Dye Evans blue was used to evaluate the lung injury. The pancreatitis pulmonary injury was smaller in group II than group I (P < 0.05) but it was similar to control group (group III). In conclusion, it is speculated that the reduction of the pancreatic enzyme content reduces the pancreatitis pulmonary injury by decreasing the quantity of pancreatic enzymes reaching the systemic circulation.