Evaluation of serum values of pancreatic enzymes after endoscopic retrograde pancreatography in dogs.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the safety of endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP) in dogs by performing repeated clinical examinations and laboratory analyses of serum amylase, lipase, canine trypsin-like immunoreactivity (cTLI), and canine pancreatic elastase 1 (cE1) after the procedure.


METHODS
7 healthy Beagles.


METHODS
Clinical examinations were performed and blood samples obtained for serum enzyme determinations before and at intervals (10 minutes; 2, 4, and 6 hours; and 1, 2, and 3 days) after ERP.


RESULTS
Repeated clinical examinations revealed no signs of ERP-induced complications in the 7 dogs. Results of repeated laboratory tests indicated a transient increase in serum values of amylase, lipase, and cTLI but not cE1. Mean +/- SD lipase activity increased from 120.7 +/- 116.4 U/L to 423.4 +/- 243.1 U/L at 4 hours after ERP. Median serum cTLI concentration increased from 16.2 microg/L (range, 77 to 26.5 microg/L) to 34.9 microg/L (range, 16.6 to 68.3 microg/L) 10 minutes after ERP. Enzyme values returned to baseline levels at the latest on day 2 in 6 of 7 dogs. Highest values for serum amylase, lipase, and cTLI and their delayed return to baseline values were detected in 1 dog with contrast filling of the pancreatic parenchyma.


CONCLUSIONS
Results indicated that ERP appears to be a safe imaging technique of pancreatic ducts in healthy dogs, although it induced a transient increase in serum values of pancreatic enzymes. In dogs, repeated clinical examinations and serum enzyme determinations can be used to monitor ERP-induced complications such as acute pancreatitis.
Spillmann
Thomas
T
Department of Small Animal Internal Medicine at the Medical and Forensic Veterinary Clinic I, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Frankfurter Strasse 126, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
Happonen
Irmeli
I
Sankari
Satu
S
Wittker
Andrea
A
Kähkönen
Tuomo
T
Westermarck
Elias
E
D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D004285:Dogs / Q000097:blood*; D008049:Lipase / Q000097:blood; D010179:Pancreas / Q000201:enzymology*; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000097:blood; D014357:Trypsin / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology
D008049:Lipase; D000681:Amylases; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D014357:Trypsin