Various studies have been performed to find out novel treatment strategies for
acute necrotizing pancreatitis (
ANP). Inhibition of
poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is shown to reduce
inflammation in several pathological conditions. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of
benzamide, a
PARP inhibitor, in an experimental model of
ANP. Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups:
sham-operated,
ANP and
ANP +
benzamide groups. All groups except the
sham-operated group were subjected to the
ANP procedure, induced by infusing of 1 mL/kg of 3%
sodium taurocholate into the common biliopancreatic duct. The
ANP +
benzamide group received 100 mg/kg/day
benzamide intraperitoneally for a total of three days after induction of
pancreatitis. The surviving animals were killed at the fourth day and the pancreas was harvested for biochemical, microbiological and histological analysis. Blood samples were also obtained from the animals. In the
ANP group, a significant increase was observed in concentrations of serum
amylase and
neopterin and tissue oxidative stress indices (
malondialdehyde,
superoxide dismutase and
glutathione peroxidase). Almost all of these changes were found to be reversed to near their normal values in the
ANP +
benzamide group. Histological injury scores were significantly higher in the
ANP group than in the
sham group (P < 0.05,
ANP versus
sham), and were significantly lower in the
ANP +
benzamide group than in the
ANP group (P < 0.05,
ANP +
benzamide versus
ANP). Evaluation of bacterial translocation identified significantly fewer infected sites in the
ANP +
benzamide group than in the
ANP animals (P < 0.01). We observed that inhibition of PARP with
benzamide reduced the severity, the mortality, the bacterial translocation rates and the
neopterin concentrations in an experimental
ANP model in rats. These findings suggest that it may be possible to improve the outcome of
ANP by using
PARP inhibitors.