Influence of pancreatic edema and short-term ischemia of rat pancreas on lipase- and alpha-amylase-activities in the serum and in the pancreas.

Acute pancreatitis was produced in rats by a combination of dyschylic edema and short-term ischemia of the pancreas. The incidence of acute pancreatitis, reflected by peri- and extra-pancreatic fat necrosis, was found to be dependent on the duration of ischemia. Under most conditions there were no significant differences in enzyme activities between the animals with macroscopic signs and those without these. The time course of alpha-amylase and lipase release was investigated within 24 hours postoperatively. Additionally the quantitative correlation was estimated of the enzyme activities released from the pancreatic tissue and the activities determined in rat serum. The data show that the serum enzymes represent only a small and variable portion of the total amount of enzymes effused from the pancreas.