The exocrine pancreas in triamcinolone-treated mice. A light and electron microscopy study

6-week-old ICR strain female mice were given between 16 and 21 daily injections of the synthetic glucocorticoid, triamcinolone diacetate (8 mg/kg body weight). Portions of their pancreas were examined by light and electron microscopy and compared with untreated littermate controls. Despite marked variability from animal to animal and lobule to lobule, triamcinolone treatment induced increased zymogen depletion and also the development of large basal vacuoles in many acinar cells. At the ultrastructural level, acinar cells show pronounced mitochondrial swelling, which in many instances is accompanied by the development of myelin whorls. The number of cells with distended granular endoplasmic reticulum is increased as is the number of atrophying cells and cells apparently undergoing disintegration. In addition, there are indications of marked activation of interlobular perivascular macrophages which show marked vacuolation. Our observations suggest that pancreatic acinar cells show cytological changes as a result of experimental hypercorticoidism.