Contrast absorption and pancreatic inflammation following experimental ERCP.

The effect of saline and contrast agents intraductally injected into the pancreatic duct in sufficient volume to cause acinarization was studied in normal rats and in rats with acute pancreatitis. The effect of pancreatic inflammation on the disappearance of injected contrast material was investigated by injecting meglumine diatrizoate and 125I into the pancreatic duct. The activity appeared quickly in the venous blood of normal rats (peak activity at 5 minutes after injection). In rats with sodium taurocholate-induced pancreatitis, the appearance of activity in the blood was retarded. Ninety-two percent of the rats demonstrated pancreatic atrophy or pancreatitis histologically four days following acinarization of intraductally injected saline or metrizamide, meglumine diatrizoate, or meglumine sodium diatrizoate.