[Acute pancreatitis induced by intrapancreatic complement activation in the rat].

Acute necrotizing pancreatitis was introduced in rats by intrapancreatic complement activation. As an immunopathogenetic model for complement activation an intrapancreatic Arthus reaction was produced by intraductal injection of rabbit IgG into sensitized animals. Antibody independent complement activation was accomplished by intraductal injection of particulated inulin and cobra venom factor resp. As shwon by histological and immunohistological examination the development of acinar cell necroses and the consecutive inflammatory reaction followed an identical course in all three models. The generation of cytolytically active complement is suggested to be the common link in the formal pathogenesis of the initial membrane demage of the acinar cells which enables its autodigestion by pancreatic enzymes. The region of the initial complement activation within the pancreas but not the mode of its activation (by immunological or non-immunological processes) determine the topography of acinar cell necroses and connective tissue proliferation.