Blood flow in the atrophied pancreas.

Pancreatic and islet blood flow was measured by quantitative determination of microspheres within atrophied pancreases of rats rendered dietarily copper-deficient. The deficient state effects selective acinar necrosis and its replacement with non-inflammatory lipomatosis. While blood flow to lipomatous glands remained intact, it was significantly less (0.41 +/- 0.02 ml/min X g pancreas) compared to normal control glands (0.50 +/- 0.01 ml/min X g pancreas). Blood flow to islets, which remain unaffected by selective acinar atrophy of the copper-deficient state, was not significantly altered (50.8 +/- 2.13 microliters/min X g pancreas) compared to controls (55.7 +/- 2.66 microliters/min X g pancreas). The percent of islet blood flow (IBF) within atrophied glands (12.2 +/- 0.31) was found to be significantly greater than control glands (10.7 +/- 0.21). It is suggested that the maintenance of IBF and IBF percentage in the atrophic pancreas may reflect the parallel arrangement of islet angioarchitecture which based on morphological data is not appreciably altered with attenuation of acinar plexuses. Microspheres, although not quantitated, were also found distributed within the adventitia of ducts as well as in vessels supplying intrapancreatic nerves and ganglia which remain intact in copper deficiency-induced acinar atrophy.