Transgenic copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase ameliorates caerulein-induced pancreatitis in mice.

The role of oxidative stress in acute pancreatitis was investigated by comparing the pathological features of caerulein pancreatitis between transgenic mice that overexpress human Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) and nontransgenic littermates. Both the elevation of serum amylase and the formation of pancreatic edema during the pancreatitis were significantly reduced in the transgenic mice compared with the nontransgenic littermates. In the transgenic mice, the pancreatitis-associated reduction of Cu/Zn-SOD activity in the pancreatic tissues was significantly smaller than that in the nontransgenic mice. These results provide direct evidence that the elevation of intracellular oxygen radicals is an important factor for the progress of acute edematous pancreatitis.