title: Fine reconstruction of the pancreatic ductular system at the onset of pancreatitis.
abstract: The three-dimensional structure of the pancreatic ductular system (from the intercalated duct to the intercellular secretory canaliculus) is controversial and unclear. The aim of this study is to reveal the three-dimensional structure of the pancreatic ductular sysytem at the onset of pancreatitis. One day following rat pancreatic duct ligation, dilated lumina from the pancreatic ductular system were reconstructed by light microscopic and scanning electron microscopic examination of pancreatic tissue serial sections. The existence of the intra-acinar duct, which is formed only by centroacinar cells and interconnects the adjacent central lumina in an acinus, was demonstrated. The intercellular secretory canaliculi, which are the terminal parts of the pancreatic ductular system, anastomose and end blindly in the intercellular space located between adjacent lateral surfaces of the acinar cells. The intercalated ducts, the intra-acinar ducts, the central lumina, and the intercellular secretory canaliculi are arranged together in a complex connecting and branching system. However, there were no anastomoses found among the central lumina or acini.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, Shimane Medical University, Izumo, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ashizawa
authors.forename: Ma
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niigaki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hamamoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niigaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaji
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katsube
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Naora
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Otani
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001648:Bile Canaliculi / Q000473:pathology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts / Q000473:pathology*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000473:pathology*; D016613:Plastic Embedding; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016707:Tissue Fixation