title: Development of a novel rat model with pancreatic fistula and the prevention of this complication using tissue-engineered myoblast sheets.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pancreatic fistula (PF) is one of the most important complications of pancreatic surgery. The aims of this study were to establish a PF model in rats and to investigate the efficacy of our new method for preventing PF, which utilizes myoblast sheets made using tissue engineering techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  To establish a PF model, the rats underwent transection of each of four pancreatic ducts: the gastric, duodenal, common, and splenic ducts, respectively. Their ascitic amylase and lipase levels were then measured. To investigate the efficacy of myoblast sheets at preventing PF, a myoblast sheet was attached to the pancreatic stump in the PF models. The levels of amylase and lipase in both serum and ascites were then measured, and surgical specimens were investigated pathologically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The new PF model established by transecting the splenic duct in rats may prove very useful. There were no significant differences in serum amylase and lipase levels between the myoblast sheet (+) group and the sheet (-) group. However, there were significant differences in ascitic amylase and lipase levels between the two groups (p < 0.05). Among the pathological findings, the number of inflammatory cells in the myoblast sheet group was smaller than that in the control group. In addition, the presence of the myoblast sheets on the surface of the pancreatic stump was confirmed by immunofluorescence staining.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data demonstrate the efficacy of the new rat model of PF presented herein, and that it might be possible to prevent PF using myoblast sheets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Tamotsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuroki
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Amane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitasato
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirabaru
authors.forename: Mitsuhisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takatsuki
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eguchi
mesh_terms: D000681:Amylases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001201:Ascites / Q000201:enzymology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008049:Lipase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D032446:Myoblasts / Q000637:transplantation*; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery; D010185:Pancreatic Fistula / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008049:Lipase; D000681:Amylases