Selective microsurgical sympathetic denervation of the rat pancreas

Autonomic nerves have been implicated in the regulation of endocrine and exocrine pancreatic secretion. The purpose of the present study was, therefore, to develop a simple, reproducible technique for selective sympathetic denervation of the rat pancreas. Under ether anesthesia a midline laparotomy was performed, the pancreas and spleen were freed from adhesions. The peritoneum was incised over the superior and inferior pancreaticoduodenal arteries and the splenic artery at their origin. The incised areas were stained with 1% toluidine blue solution. The pancreaticoduodenal and splenic nerves were visualized and resected. 1, 2 and 3 weeks after the denervation procedure the norepinephrine (NE) content of the pancreatic tissue was determined. Cholinergic and nitric oxide synthetase (NOS)-immunoreactive nerve structures were identified by immunohistochemistry 1 week after denervation. In denervated tissue the NE content after 1 week was 98% lower than measured in controls. With time, there was a gradual increase of the NE content, although it reached only 25% of the values measured in sham-operated animals at 3 weeks. There was no concomitant denervation of the duodenum. Cholinergic and NOS nerve structures were still present 1 week after denervation.