[Histological changes in the duodenal mucosa in pancreatic atrophy]

Chronic experiments on dogs have shown that pancreatic atrophy development and decreased secretion of the pancreas are associated with atrophic alterations in the duodenal mucosa, bearing resemblance to the picture of chronic duodenitis. During subcutaneous injections of boiled pancreatic juice the pancreatic atrophy development was delayed and the duodenal mucosa looked almost normal. Hyperplasia of Brunner's glands was revealed in the course of pancreatic atrophy development. There is every reason to regard hyperplasia as a compensatory-adaptive process directed at the maintenance of pH level and mucoprotein intestinal concentration.