Cholecystectomy stimulates hypertrophy and hyperplasia in the hamster pancreas

Cholecystectomy may be a risk factor for carcinoma of the pancreas. In this study the morphometric and autoradiographic changes in the hamster pancreas following cholecystectomy (chole) were compared with changes observed in sham-operated controls. After operation significant increases were observed in percent acinar cell labeling with [3H]thymidine from 0.29 +/- 0.07 (controls) to 0.57 +/- 0.06 (chole) at 2 weeks and from 0.05 +/- 0.00 (controls) to 0.75 +/- 0.18 (chole) at 4 weeks. The number of labeled duct epithelial cells/mm duct length increased from 0.00 +/- 0.00 (controls) to 4.64 +/- 1.89 (chole) at 2 weeks and from 1.19 +/- 0.97 (controls) to 3.00 +/- 0.75 (chole) at 4 weeks. Duct epithelial cell height (micrometers) increased from 13.90 +/- 1.06 (controls) to 26.98 +/- 1.32 (chole) at 2 weeks and from 13.20 +/- 1.06 (controls) to 23.90 +/- 0.86 (chole) at 4 weeks. It was concluded that cholecystectomy results in hyperplasia and hypertrophy of pancreatic cell populations in the hamster. These data extend previous observations that cholecystectomy has a significant trophic effect on the pancreas.