Delirium is a common manifestation in inflammatory states, especially in hospitalized aged people.

Neuropeptides are pleotropic molecules heterogeneously distributed throughout the brain and possess a wide spectrum of functions.

We hypothesized that neuropeptides are a major alarm system in the brain during non infectious systemic inflammation.

Acute pancreatitits was induced in 8-10 week old rats and brain tissue was collected 12 and 24 hours later.

We found significantly higher levels of β-endorphin, orexin and oxytocin in the brain of rats submitted to pancreatic injury.