Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a gastroenterological emergency with an acute onset and a high mortality rate. The main pathogenesis of AP is pancreatic damage and excessive activation of inflammatory cells induced by multiple factors. Due to anatomical features, the liver is the first extrapancreatic organ to be attacked by high concentrations of trypsin and inflammatory mediators during AP. Hepatic macrophages have been shown to be a major source of AP-related inflammatory factors. Interventions targeting hepatic macrophages may be critical to block liver injury/failure during AP, promote tissue repair, and reduce systemic symptoms. This review summarizes the pathological role of hepatic macrophages in AP and targeted interventions to provide new ideas and approaches to resolve the pathogenesis of AP and alleviate concurrent liver injury.
