Establishment of a severe acute pancreatitis rat model for evaluating enteral nutrition therapy

Objective To establish an experimental severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) rat model for evaluating enteral nutrition (EN) therapy. Methods 80 SD rats were randomized into sham-operated group (SO group) and SAP group. The SAP model was established by injecting 1 ml 3.8% sodium taurocholate beneath the pancreatic capsule. Twenty rats of SO group and 20 rats of SAP group were killed at 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after operation to determine serum amylase, histopathologic changes of the pancreas and injury to other organs. The remaining 40 SAP rats were used to calculate the mortality. Results In SAP group, serum amylase increased at 6 h after injection of 3.8% sodium taurocholate, reached the peak value at 12 h, remained at a high level at 24 h, and began to decline at 48 h. There was significant difference in serum amylase conentration between model group and SO group. The HE staining results showed that there were pancreatic hemorrhage, necrosis and progressive impairment. Multiple exptrapancreatic organ injuries were found in rats with experimental SAP. The cumulative morality of SAP group at day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 was 0(0/40), 7.5%(3/40), 20.0%(8/40), 35.0%(14/40), 40.0(16/40), 47.5%(19/40) and 52.5%(21/40) respectively. Conclusions It is an effective way to establish the SAP rat model by injecting 1 ml 3.8% sodium taurocholate beneath the pancreatic capsule. The SAP model thus established has good reproducibility. As the model resembles the natural course of human SAP, it is suitable for enteral therapy study, long-term mechanism study, conversion study and other therapeutic studies.