All mice were fasted for 12 hours, and the model of SAP induced by cerulein (Cn) and LPS in this study was described previously with a minor modification. Our previous study indicated that the mice exhibited mild pancreatitis after treatment with cerulein alone at a dosage (100 μg/kg/h for 6 hourly intraperitoneal injections) (24 ). A severe form of acute pancreatitis, characterized by local organ injury and distinct organ damages or dysfunctions, can be induced by a relatively minor secondary insult (administration of a small dose of LPS) (5 (link)). Therefore, in this SAP model, the mice (WT, SP-D KO and hTG SP-D) were treated with cerulein (Sigma, St Louis, Missouri, USA) plus LPS group (Cn + LPS, SAP group). In brief, mice were given 6 hourly intraperitoneal injections of cerulein at 100 μg/kg and one intraperitoneal injection of LPS (10 mg/kg; from Escherichia coli026:B6; Sigma) immediately after the first injection of cerulein. Animals in the control (Cntl) group received same size of normal saline. Mice were sacrificed 6 h and 24 h after the first cerulein injection.