Direct surface cooling of the exocrine pancreas in the rat

A study was carried out to evaluate the effects of direct cooling on the exocrine pancreas. Changes in amylase and cathepsin B release, and in the subcellular distribution of amylase and cathepsin B were measured after 1, 2 and 3 h of direct pancreatic cooling in rats. Cooling for 2 and 3 h caused significant hyperamylasaemia and increased pancreatic amylase content, but minimal histological change. Furthermore, 3 h of cooling caused marked redistribution of cathepsin B activity from the lysosomal fraction to the heavier zymogen fraction, and co-localization of lysosomal and digestive enzymes; amylase and cathepsin B output into pancreatic juice after caerulein stimulation were also reduced. These results show that direct pancreatic cooling impairs exocrine function and implicate lysosomal enzymes in the pathogenesis of pancreatic injury, in agreement with results from other models of experimental pancreatitis.