Treatment with antileukinate, a CXCR2 chemokine receptor antagonist, protects mice against acute pancreatitis and associated lung injury

Acute pancreatitis is a common, and as yet incurable, clinical condition, the incidence of which has been increasing over recent years. Chemokines are believed to play a key role in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis. We have earlier shown that treatment with a neutralizing antibody against CINC, a CXC chemokine, protects rats against acute pancreatitis-associated lung injury. The hexapeptide antileukinate (Ac-RRWWCR-NH2) is a potent inhibitor of binding of CXC Chemokines to the receptors (CXCR2). This study aims to evaluate the effect of treatment with antileukinate on acute pancreatitis and the associated lung injury in mice. Acute pancreatitis was induced in adult male Swiss mice by hourly intra-peritoneal injections of caerulein (50 microg/kg/h) for 10 h. Antileukinate (52.63 mg/kg, s.c.) was administered to mice either 30 min before or 1 h after starting caerulein injections. Severity of acute pancreatitis was determined by measuring plasma amylase, pancreatic water content, pancreatic myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, pancreatic macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) levels and histological examination of sections of pancreas. A rise in lung MPO activity and histological evidence of lung injury in lung sections was used as criteria for pancreatitis-associated lung injury. Treatment with antileukinate protected mice against acute pancreatitis and associated lung injury, showing thereby that anti-chemokine therapy may be of value in this condition.