Allyl Alcohol-Induced Changes in the Rat Exocrine Pancreas

Abstract

A histologic, histochemical and electron microscopic study was carried out on the rat exocrine pancreas 6–96 h after a single allyl alcohol intake. Histologically, acidophilia, necrosis and vacuolation of the pancreatic acinar cells were observed. Histochemically, a low but evident alcohol dehydrogenase activity could focally be demonstrated in the pancreatic acinar cell cytoplasm of the experimental and control rats. By electron microscopy, cytoplasmic lipid droplets, mitochondrial degeneration and necrosis were found in the acinar cells. Focal cytoplasmic degradation and vacuolation were seen in acinar, centroacinar and ductular cells of the pancreas. The findings are regarded as the consequence of the toxic action of acrolein that originates after allyl alcohol oxidation by alcohol dehydrogenase. Analogies between the liver and the pancreas in their response to acute allyl alcohol and chronic ethanol intake are discussed.

Allyl alcohol [MAK Value Documentation, 2001]

“…Damage to the exocrine pancreas of the rat was detected histologically after single oral doses of 50 mg/kg body weight (Nizze et al 1979).…”

Benign pancreatic hyperenzymemia or Gullo's syndrome

“…For example, long standing hyperamylasemia (up to 7 years) is often present in patients affected by intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms [5,6 ], probably secondary to partial or complete occlusion of the main or secondary pancreatic ducts by mucin. Secondly, pancreatic steatosis, namely the presence of lipid droplets in the acinar cells of the pancreas, has been observed both in animals [2,7,8,9,10,11] and in humans [12,13,14,15]. The pathogenesis of pancreatic steatosis has not been defined, but malnutrition [7,10,12] and alcohol abuse [7,12,13] have been implicated in the pathogenesis.…”

Chronic Pancreatitis Possibly Caused by Occupational Exposure to Organic Solvents

“…Moreover, no case of chronic pancreatitis after cimetidine has been reported. Finally, acute pancreatitis has also been associated with inhalation of dimethylformamide and pentachlorophenol at work (Jackson & Kemp, 1974;Cooper & Macaulay, 1982), and allyl alcohol is a known experimental pancreatotoxic agent in animal studies (Nizze et al, 1979).…”