PANCREATIC ATROPHY - A NEW MODEL USING SERIAL INTRA-PERITONEAL INJECTIONS OF L-ARGININE

No simple rat model for chronic pancreatitis exists at present. A sing le dose of arginine has recently been shown to induce acute pancreatit is in rats. This study was designed to assess whether serial injection s of arginine would induce reproducible chronic pancreatic damage. For ty rats received an intra-peritoneal injection of 500 mg per 100 g bod y weight of L-arginine followed by three injections of 250 mg per 100 g over 10 days. The rats were killed 24 h after each injection and at intervals of up to 6 months. Serum amylase levels were increased in th e acute phase only. Examination of the pancreas at 24 h showed a sever e oedematous pancreatitis. By day 5 there was up to 90% acinar destruc tion with adipose tissue replacement, although ductal, vascular, and i slet cells appeared undamaged. These changes were present 6 months aft er injection. This is proposed as a new, simple, and reproducible meth od of inducing chronic pancreatic damage in the rat.