Acute experimental pancreatitis--morphological evidence for the development of a multiple organ failure syndrome.

In order to evaluate the systemic lesions during acute pancreatitis (AP) we produced the disease in rats by ligation of the common biliopancreatic duct. The animals were killed at 4, 24, 48 hours and at 7 days. Serum values of amylase appear increased 24 hours after common biliopancreatic duct ligation, decreased after 48 hours and remain at a low range at 7 days. The pancreatic lesions were: interstitial oedema, pancreatic ducts dilatation, necrosis, hemorrhages and extensive fat necroses in the peripancreatic area, retroperitoneum and mesentery. We also found signs of systemic damage, suggestive for a multiple organ failure syndrome in the lung (hemorrhages, neutrophils accumulation, microthromboses), stomach (erosive and hemorrhagic gastritis) and mild kidney hemorrhages. Thus we succeed in producing a pathological picture similar to the multiple organ failure syndrome (MOFS) lesions in a rat model by a mechanism similar to human biliary AP. This model could be useful in therapeutic studies and in further research in the field of pathogenesis of MOFS during AP.