Background: The pathogenesis of complications of acute pancreatitis is an important subject of research for many experimenters. The aim of the research reported here was to evaluate changes in the activity of lysosomal enzymes in rat kidneys in the course of experimentally-induced acute pancreatitis.
Material and methods: 70 male Wistar rats of reproductive age with a mean body weight of 300 g were included in the study. Healthy animals were used as a control group to determine normal values for the activity of renal lysosomal enzymes: Cathepsin B, D, L, Acid Phosphatase, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, Lipase, Sulfatase, and Beta-D-Galactosidase. Acute pancreatitis was induced by injecting a 5% solution of sodium taurocholate into the hepatopancreatic duct. The animals were divided into 3 groups: I – healthy rats – normal group; II – rats with acute pancreatitis evoked by the injection of 5% sodium taurocholate; III – rats with a 0.9% solution of natrium chloride injected into the hepatopancreatic duct. Groups II and III were randomly divided into 6 subgroups. At 2, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours after the induction of acute pancreatitis the rats were anesthetized and their kidneys used for biochemical investigations.
Results: The differences in enzyme activity were statistically significant among the various subgroups of Groups II and III groups. The highest decrease in enzyme activity was found between 12 and 48 hours after the induction of the disease, followed by small increases up to 72 hours.
Conclusion: The monitoring of lysosomal enzyme activity can be used to evaluate the increase of kidney failure in the course of experimentally-induced acute pancreatitis.

Keywords: acute pancreatitis, Kidney, Lysosomal enzymes, Rat