Exocrine Pancreas and Experimental Dietary Lesions

Abstract

Dietary lesions in exocrine pancreas have been examined in rats after fasting, after non-protein diet and after diet rich in cholesterol. During fasting the most prominent alterations are cytoplasmic damage. The nuclear DNA, the cytoplasmic RNA and particularly the nucleolar RNA decrease rapidly. The most evident alteration caused by protein deficiency is at nucleolus level. The nuclear DNA is quickly reduced; the cytoplasms are subject to vacuolar degeneration which reaches the stage of necrobiosis. Excess of cholesterol in the diet causes the earliest lesions at nuclear level; the nucleolus seems less affected; the cytoplasm is injured fairly lightly after 10 days'' treatment, but it too is severely affected after 20 days. The significance of these findings is discussed.