Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the chronological ultrastructural changes in the pancreas after experimental thermal injury.
Adult Wistar rats were used. The severe thermal burns of 3rd degree, about 30% of body surface, was installed on the back of the rats. After installationn of the thermal burns, the rats were sacrificed periodically at 5 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours, 12 hours, 1, 2, 3, 7, 14 and 40 days. Each experimental group consisted of three rats and a total of thirty rats, was used.
In the acinar cells, degeneration of the ergastoplasm, swelling of the mitochondria, aggregate of the zymogen granules and appearance of the autophagic vesicle being digested by lysosomal enzyme were observed. The above-mentioned changes became obvious at 3 to 12 hours and then after they gradually disappeared. Concerning about the n-cells of Langerhans islets, vesiculation of granules, degeneration of the mitochondria and ergastoplasm were prominent at 12 hours after installation of burn. On the other hand, the a-cells were not involved.
Morphological evidences of circulatory insufficiency such as intracapillary stasis with interstitial edema due to burn shock both in acinar cell region and Langerhans islets were also obtained.
