Acute Alcoholic Pancreatitis in the Rat

Abstract

Pancreatic lesions have been produced in rats by the injection of different solutions into the pancreatic duct system. Alcoholic bile (bile containing about 1.5 mg per cent alcohol) caused more extensive lesions (hemorrhagic necrosis) than normal bile. Alcohol (0.5 per cent), on the contrary, gave the same type of lesions as did saline (interstitial edema only). Alcohol intake thus appears to potentiate the injurious effect of bile on the pancreas. It is suggested that this may be an important factor in the production of acute pancreatitis in alcoholism in man.

Index-words::

• Pancreas
• bile
• pancreatitis
• alcoholic intoxication
• alcohol