Cimetidine treatment in acute experimental pancreatitis.

The effects of cimetidine on acute experimental pancreatitis was studied in the rat. Acute pancreatitis was induced in a highly standardized manner, using transduodenal injection of sodiumtaurodeoxycholate and trypsin, into the bile-pancreatic duct. Subcutaneous injections of 32 mg/kg body weight of cimetidine every 8 h did not influence the severity of pancreatitis as evaluated on basis of mortality, macroscopic evaluation, S amylase and amylase activity in ascites or amylase and lipase activity within pancreatic tissue. When, however, the dose of cimetidine was increased tenfold, a significantly increased mortality rate was observed as compared to normal rats given either dose of cimetidine and to pancreatitic rats given the low dose of the drug. Our study does not justify the use of cimetidine in acute pancreatitis.