Extraparenchymal Bile/Pancreatic Ducts and Duodenal Papillae

Abstract

This review focuses on the anatomy, histologic preparation, and pathologic evaluation of extraparenchymal bile and pancreatic ducts (BPDs) and their openings at the duodenal papillae in the cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis), the Beagle dog (Canis familiaris), the Wistar Hanover rat (Rattus norvegicus), and the CD1 mouse (Mus musculus). In nonclinical safety assessment, intraparenchymal BPDs (with sections of liver and pancreas, respectively) are evaluated routinely. However, detailed evaluation of the extraparenchymal BPDs or the duodenal papillae is not included. In the context of nonclinical safety assessment studies, this review describes situations in which evaluation of extraparenchymal ductal structures and duodenal papillae may be useful in characterizing test article-related changes; elucidates anatomic similarities between human, macaque, and dog and notable differences in rats and mice; and consolidates the information required for the histopathologic evaluation of these tissues.

Morphological study of the pancreatic duct system in chinchilla (Chinchilla laniger Molina).

“…While the histology of the exocrine part of the pancreas of mammals has proven interesting to researchers, the morphology of the ducts that lead out of the pancreas has not been sufficiently examined. Knowledge of the entire secretory system is of particular importance in pathology, as certain types of pancreatic cancer originate from the epithelium of pancreatic ducts (3,33). Only the accessory pancreatic duct is present in the chinchilla, which is similar to the situation in the rabbit (2,8,26,34), guinea pig (18), prairie dog (6), pig, and ox (36).…”

“…In the rat, several pancreatic ducts open to the common bile duct at various points, but before entering the duodenum at the duodenal papilla (7,10). The minor duodenal papilla is absent in rats, so the distal segment of the common bile duct contains a mixture of liver and pancreatic secretions (33). In mouse, the pancreatic duct enters the common bile duct before entering the duodenum at the duodenal papilla.…”