Pancreatic ischaemia; sensitivity and reversibility of the changes

In the rat, pancreatic clamping producing warm ischaemic times ranging from 5 to 90 min gives rise to changes similar to those of an haemorrhagic pancreatitis. The severity of the changes is proportional to the time of ischaemia. After 1 to 1 1/2 h clamping 95 per cent of the glandular changes are reversible, and at 2 months the pancreas appears normal apart from localized areas of fibrosis. The islets of Langerhans remain morphologically normal even after 90 min ischaemia. The implications for islet cell transplantation are discussed.