UCP2 and acute pancreatitis: Superoxide has been shown to directly activate uncoupling proteins [37] that would inhibit basal respiration; in particular, UCP-2 is thought to exert a homeostatic role in the regulation of mitochondria-derived ROS [38,39] that may involve the alteration of mitochondrial glutathione levels [40] and is overexpressed in models of acute pancreatitis [41].