Alcohol and the integrity of the pancreas

Alcohol may affect the integrity of the pancreatic parenchyma, as seen in alcoholic pancreatitis, some cases of chronic alcoholism without clinical pancreatitis, and experimental studies. The composition of pancreatic juice may reflect some of these changes. One type of parenchymal alteration is the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inScandinavian journal of gastroenterology. Supplement Vol. 112; p. 106
Main Authors Bockman, D E, Singh, M, Laugier, R, Sarles, H
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England 1985
Subjects
Alcoholism - blood
Alcoholism - metabolism
Alcoholism - pathology
Animals
Basement Membrane - pathology
Cell Differentiation
Epithelium - pathology
Humans
Lipid Metabolism
Microscopy, Electron
Neutrophils - pathology
Pancreas - metabolism
Pancreas - pathology
Pancreas - ultrastructure
Pancreatic Juice - secretion
Pancreatitis - pathology
Rats
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Summary:Alcohol may affect the integrity of the pancreatic parenchyma, as seen in alcoholic pancreatitis, some cases of chronic alcoholism without clinical pancreatitis, and experimental studies. The composition of pancreatic juice may reflect some of these changes. One type of parenchymal alteration is the loss of differentiative features of acinar cells, so that they take on the characteristics of ductular cells. Concomitant fibrosis completes the formation of the tubular complexes found in association with alcoholic chronic pancreatitis. Sustained alcohol intake may produce the accumulation of lipid droplets in parenchymal cells, some of which may be shown to be within the rough endoplasmic reticulum of acinar cells. Epithelial cells may undergo mucous metaplasia. The epithelial-basal lamina barrier frequently is breached in the area of intraluminal aggregates, with or without obvious inflammation in the immediate area. Loss of barrier function may lead to interaction among components of the external compartment (lumen) and the internal compartment (stroma). Increased levels of blood proteins and glycosaminoglycans in the juice, enzyme activation, fibrin formation, and complement activation are potential consequences of barrier loss. Increased lactoferrin levels could result in part from the activity and degranulation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes.
ISSN:0085-5928
1751-1895
DOI:10.3109/00365528509092220