Sodium taurocholate-induced acute pancreatitis in pigs. Pathomorphological studies of the pancreas in untreated animals and animals pretreated with high doses of corticosteroids or protease inhibitors.

Acute pancreatitis was induced in anesthetized pigs by injection of Na-taurocholate into the pancreatic duct. The pigs were allocated to 4 groups. One group remained untreated while the other groups received either C1-inhibitor, aprotinin or methyl-prednisolone intravenously as pretreatment. Extensive necroses of the pancreatic parenchyma, peripancreatic oedema and accumulation of large amounts of fluid in the abdominal cavity developed within a few hours in all experimental groups. Pretreatment significantly improved hemodynamics and increased the survival rate at 6 hours. It is concluded that the most essential effect of the pretreatments were reduction of proteolytic activities which are secondary to the pancreatic lesions.