Function of pancreatic endocrine cells in experimental acute pancreatitis

Abstract This experimental study was carried out to clarify changes in pancreatic endocrine function in acute pancreatitis. Male Donryu rats were divided into 2 groups, consisting of a group with acute pancreatitis induced by Block's method, and another group with simple laparotomy as control. Histological examination in the former group revealed an interstitial edematous pancreatitis, but there was no marked alteration of endocrine cells in spite of inflammatory changes in the exocrine region. Insulin and glucagon levels in the pancreatic tissue of rats with acute pancreatitis were significantly lower than those of control rats. Autoradiographic studies using3H‐leucine showed a significant decrease of grain counts for endocrine granules in rats with acute pancreatitis. The release of insulin from isolated islets of Langerhans was not reduced until 72 hours after the development of acute pancreatitis, while the release of glucagon from isolated islets was reduced 6 hours after the development of acute pancreatitis. These findings indicate that there is a reduction of synthesis and secretion function in endocrine cells of the pancreas in acute pancreatitis, and suggest that the damage to A cells occurs more rapidly than damage to B cells.