Pancreatic inflammation, apoptosis, and growth: sequential events after partial pancreatectomy in pigs.

Positive signs of pancreas regeneration were observed in rats after induced pancreatitis and partial pancreatectomy (1,2). Although the human pancreas did not regenerate after partial anatomic resection (3), the pig pancreas exhibited growth responses to bombesin after partial pancreatectomy (4). This study was undertaken to establish the time course of pancreatic inflammation, apoptosis, and hypertrophy and/or hyperplasia after partial pancreatectomy in pigs.