Pancreatic uptake of 99Tc stannous pyrophosphate in experimental viral pancreatitis in mice.

The pancreatic uptake of 99mTc stannous pyrophosphate (99mTc-PYP) in acute pancreatitis in mice induced by coxsackievirus B3 was studied. 99mTc-PYP uptake ratio, measured by the ratio of counts/min/g for the pancreas to counts/min/g for the skull, began to increase 2 days after virus inoculation and markedly increased on day 3 when necrosis of pancreatic acinar cells was evident. On day 5, 99mTc-PYP ratio reached a maximum (2.95 +/- 1.85, mean +/- SD) and histologically fine granules of calcification were seen in the necrotic acinar cells. Thereafter, cellular infiltrations increased and were most severe on day 7, but 99mTc-PYP ratio had began to decrease. On day 28, the necrotic areas of the pancreas were replaced with fatty cells and calcification was still present, though 99mTc-PYP ratio had decreased. The present findings may provide a basis for 99mTc-PYP imaging in cases of clinical viral pancreatitis.