Models of acute and chronic pancreatitis

Markus M Lerch ¹, Fred S Gorelick

⁰Department of Medicine A, University Medicine Greifswald, Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Strasse, Greifswald, Germany. lerch@uni-greifswald.de

Gastroenterology +

|

April 30, 2013

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Animal models are crucial for studying pancreatitis, aiding research into disease mechanisms, treatments, and the link between inflammation and pancreatic cancer development.

Area Of Science

* Pancreatology and experimental pathology.
* Translational research in gastrointestinal diseases.

Background

* Animal models are essential for investigating acute and chronic pancreatitis.
* These models help elucidate pathogenesis, evaluate therapeutic strategies, and explore inflammation's role in pancreatic cancer.
* In vitro models are useful for studying early acinar cell responses.

Purpose Of The Study

* To review existing animal models for pancreatitis research.
* To assess the relevance of various models to human disease.
* To highlight the need for further characterization of chronic pancreatitis models.

Main Methods

* Review of established in vivo (rodent) and in vitro models.
* Discussion of induction methods, including caerulein administration, lipopolysaccharide, and ethanol feeding.
* Consideration of autoimmune pancreatitis models.

Main Results

* Rodent models reliably replicate mild to severe pancreatitis.
* Caerulein administration is a common method for inducing pancreatitis.
* Models combining lipopolysaccharide and ethanol feeding may mimic aspects of human chronic pancreatitis.
* Autoimmune pancreatitis models have been developed.

Conclusions

* Animal models are vital for pancreatitis research, offering insights into disease mechanisms and potential treatments.
* Current models, especially for chronic pancreatitis, require more thorough validation against human disease features.
* Continued refinement of models is necessary for accurate translation to clinical practice.

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