Experimental model of severe acute pancreatitis in rabbits

• Published in: Acta cirúrgica brasileira Vol. 22; no. 5; pp. 366 - 371
• Main Authors: Goldenberg, Alberto, Romeo, Ana Celia Diniz Cabral Barbosa, Moreira, Márcia Bento, Apodaca, Franz Robert, Linhares, Marcelo Moura, Matone, Jacques
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil 01-09-2007
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Amylases - blood; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Cholagogues and Choleretics; Female; Injections; Models, Animal; Necrosis - etiology; Pancreas - enzymology; Pancreas - pathology; Pancreas - surgery; Pancreatectomy; Pancreatic Ducts - surgery; Pancreatitis - chemically induced; Pancreatitis - complications; Rabbits; Research Design; Taurocholic Acid
• ISSN: 0102-8650; 0102-8650
• DOI: 10.1590/S0102-86502007000500008

To develop an experimental model of severe acute pancreatitis in rabbits through a pancreatic ductal injection of sodium taurocholate.
Twenty-four albino rabbits of the New Zealand lineage were distributed into four groups of six animals (A, B, C and S). The rabbits of three experimental groups (A, B and C) were submitted to a laparatomy and received a pancreatic ductal injection of 1 ml/kg sodium taurocholate 5%. Also, they were submitted to further laparatomies after 4h, 8h and 12h, respectively. The control group (S) was subdivided into two groups of three animals: in subgroup S1 only the pancreatic duct catheterization was performed whereas in subgroup S2 the pancreatic duct catheterization as well as an injection of 1 ml/kg physiologic solution 0.9% were carried out. After 12 hours, the rabbits were evaluated. In the re-intervention, blood was collected to determine the amylasemia and a pancreatectomy was carried out to investigate interstitial infiltration, steatonecrosis and necrosis of the organ, using an optical microscope.
There was an elevation of amylase in all groups thus proving the existence of acute pancreatitis. The size of the interlobular septum increased progressively with a greater variation between group S1 (0.13) and group C (0. 53) (p=0.035). While all the animals in group A exhibited focal cellular necrosis, it was more intense in the rabbits of group B and culminated with a high proportion of severe pancreatic necrosis in group C animals. The difference in the intensity of cellular necrosis showed statistic significance (p=0.001).
The proposed experimental model demonstrated its reproducibility and effectiveness in producing severe acute pancreatitis in rabbits.