Production of Acute Pancreatitis with Ethionine and its Prevention by Methionine.

Abstract

Intraperit. admn. of ethionine in starved rats produced loss of cytoplasmic basophilia of the pancreatic acinar cells, followed by diffuse pancreatitis. The lesion was prevented by methionine, but not by cystine, choline or by glucose (which prevents fatty livers from developing after ethionine admn. in female rats). The pancreatic lesion was also observed in male rats, in which fatty livers did not occur. The pancreatic lesion is assumed to result from interference with methionine (and possibly protein) metabolism in an organ which synthesizes large amts. of protein. Possibly the pancreatic lesion associated with malnutrition in the tropics is produced by protein deficiency.