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Angioarchitecture of the atrophic pancreas
Author(s) -
Weaver Cyprian
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0029(19970601)37:5/6<520::aid-jemt14>3.0.co;2-s
Subject(s) - pancreas , acinar cell , atrophy , pathology , biology , islet , amylin , immunohistochemistry , parenchyma , salivary gland , medicine , endocrinology , diabetes mellitus
The pancreas has a complex vasculature which comprises both exocrine and endocrine structures. Copper deficiency induces highly selective acinar cell degeneration and progressive noninflammatory lipomatosis in pancreas while Langerhans islets, ducts, and nerves remain unaffected. Pancreatic vasculature was examined in rats that had dietary copper deficiency to characterize changes in the angioarchitecture of the gland. This model was used to assess the degree to which the vasculature of non‐acinar components of the gland are potentially altered under conditions of exocrine atrophy. Ultrastructure of pancreas was examined by histology, enzyme histochemistry and immunohistochemistry, corrosion casting and scanning electron microscopy, in situ vascular staining, microsphere injection, biochemical analysis, and morphometry in copper‐deficient rats. Results show that no acute angiopathic changes indicative of vascular disorganization accompany atrophy. Only a reduction in the complexity of the capillary beds, which normally vascularize the dense acinar parenchyma, was found. Microsphere quantitation also showed that blood flow to the lipomatous gland remains intact. Furthermore, analysis of the angioarchitecture of the atrophied pancreas supports a largely autonomous blood supply to islets and ducts. These observations support the hypothesis that while the vasculature of the atrophied gland is modified in vascular regions severely targeted by acinar necrosis, the overall structural features of the angioarchitecture are preserved. The atrophied gland thus provides an experimental model to study the vascular routes supplying islet and ductal blood flow within the complex pancreatic circulation. Microsc. Res. Tech. 37:520–542, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.