Histochemical studies on the albino rat pancreas in different periods following vagotomy and simultaneous pyloromyotomy.

The effect of complete subphrenic vagotomy and simultaneous pyloromyotomy on the morphological state and the activities of some intracellular enzymes of the albino rat was studied histochemically. Within the first weeks after vagotomy, the pancreatic acini were found to diminish in size, and the beta-cells in the islets of Langerhans became oedematous. In the acini, the activities of succinate dehydrogenase, cytochrome oxidase, AS naphthol acetate esterase, and glucose-6-phosphatase were observed to decline, but the reactions for beta-glucuronidase and aryl sulphatase showed intensifications and polymorphic behaviour both in acinar and in islet cells. The latter also and particularly the beta-cells simultaneously revealed enhanced activities of succinate dehydrogenase, cytochrome oxidase, beta-glucuronidase, and aryl sulphatase, and an entire disappearance of the reaction for glucose-6-phosphatase. The alpha-cells increased their AS naphthol acetate esterase activity. After 5 weeks following vagotomy, morphological and enzymatic changes in the acini and islets were negligible, and after 5 and 9 months no differences were noted between the vagotomized rats and the control animals.