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-Background -Recent studies indicate that hyperthermia can change infl ammatory mechanisms and protect experimental animals from deleterious effects of secretagogue-induced acute pancreatitis. Aim -To evaluate the effects of hyperthermia posttreatment on cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in rats. Methods -Twenty animals were divided in two groups: group I (n = 10), rats with cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis undergone hyperthermia, and group II (n = 10), animals with cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis that were kept normothermic. In all groups, amylase serum levels, histologic damage, vascular permeability and pancreatic water content were assessed. Acute pancreatitis was induced by administration of two cerulein injections (20 mcg/kg). A single dose of Evans' blue dye was administered along with the second dose of cerulein. All animals also received a subcutaneous injection of saline solution. After this process, animals undergone hyperthermia were heated in a cage with two 100 W lamps. Body temperature was increased to 39.5ºC and maintained at that level for 45 minutes. Normothermia rats were kept at room temperature in a second cage. Results -Control animals had typical edema, serum amylase activity and morphologic changes of this acute pancreatitis model. Hyperthermia post-treatment ameliorated the pancreatic edema, whereas the histologic damage and the serum amylase level remained unchanged. Conclusions -The fi ndings suggest a benefi cial effect of the thermal stress on infl ammatory edema in experimental acute pancreatitis.

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is associated with bacterial translocation and infection mainly related to the common intestinal microbiota suggesting a possible breakdown of intestinal barrier. Intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) is a 15-kd protein localized in intestinal mucosa cells that due to its small size quickly leaks out of damaged cells leading to increase in blood levels. Therefore the plasma levels of I-FABP indicating gut epithelial cells injury during AP may be related to bacterial translocation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate plasma levels of I-FABP and its relationship to bacterial translocation in AP and therefore validate plasma levels of I-FABP as a marker of bacterial translocation in AP. Methods: AP was induced in 40 male Wistar rats by intraductal 2.5% taurocholate injection Twenty-four hours after AP blood were collected for determinations of plasma ileal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) using standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for rat. Bacterial translocation was evaluated by bacterial cultures of pancreas expressed in colony-forming units (CFU) per gram. Results: A significant positive correlation between the plasma I-FABP levels and the bacterial translocation was found (r = 0.9008, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Plasma level of L-FABP is a marker of bacterial translocation in acute pancreatitis and may be useful as a guide to antimicrobiotic therapy in this disease.