Acute experimental suppurative pancreatitis in the rat.

Acute pancreatitis was induced in rats by infusing sodium taurodeoxycholate with or without Escherichia coli and Bacteroides fragilis into the bile-pancreatic duct. Survival did not differ between the 'noninfected bile group' (NIB) and the 'infected bile group' (IB). At standardized macroscopic evaluation, pancreatitis was more severe in the IB group (p less than 0.05). Histologic examination on day 7 showed suppuration of pancreatic tissue in 6/7 IB and 3/14 NIB rats (p less than 0.05). Bacteriologic culture of pancreatic tissue was positive in 6/8 IB and 3/17 NIB rats (p less than 0.01). Bacterial culture of blood, peritoneal fluid of pulmonary tissue was seldom positive. Concordance between microscopically observed suppuration and positive bacterial culture was almost total. Recall antigen skin testing indicated anergy in the IB group, while the NIB group showed moderately diminished reaction (p less than 0.001). Similar increase of S-fibrinogen was found on day 3 in both groups, but complement factor C3 was reduced only in the IB group. This experimental model, with suppurative pancreatitis induced by intraductal infusion of an infected bile salt, may be useful for studies of systemic complications in acute pancreatitis.