Mast cells may not play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of experimental closed duodenal loop-induced pancreatitis in rats.
BACKGROUND
Ws/Ws rats have a small deletion of the c-kit gene and are deficient in both mucosal-type mast cells and connective tissue-type mast cells.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of pancreatic mast cells in the development of experimental closed duodenal loop (CDL)-induced pancreatitis using Ws/Ws rats.


METHODS
Pancreatitis was induced by the CDL technique for 5 and 12 hours, and the subsequent ascites volume, wet pancreatic weight, pancreatic myeloperoxidase activities, and serum amylase levels were evaluated. The pancreatic tissue damage was also evaluated histologically.


RESULTS
The CDL technique induced equally severe ascites, pancreatic edema and hyperemia, and hyperamylasemia in the Ws/Ws versus the control (+/+) rats. The microscopic mucosal damage score was also equivalent in the Ws/Ws and control (+/+) rats, and there were no significant differences in mucosal myeloperoxidase activity between the Ws/Ws and control (+/+) rats.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that mast cells may not be crucial for the development of CDL-induced pancreatitis.
Araki
Yoshio
Y
Department of Internal Medicine, Nagahama Red Cross Hospital, Nagahama, Shiga, Japan.
Andoh
Akira
A
Nakamura
Fumiyasu
F
Tasaki
Kazuhito
K
Takenaka
Katsuhiko
K
Komai
Yasunobu
Y
Doi
Hisakazu
H
Fujiyama
Yoshihide
Y
Bamba
Tadao
T
D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001201:Ascites / Q000473:pathology; D003250:Constriction; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004386:Duodenum / Q000601:surgery*; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology; D017353:Gene Deletion; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size; D010179:Pancreas / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains; D013997:Time Factors
D009195:Peroxidase; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D000681:Amylases