HISTOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE POSSIBLE PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF ALLOPURINOL ON EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED PANCREATITIS OF ADULT ALBINO RATS

Abstract

jl{{opurino{ is a drug which provides an effective therapy in the treatment of primary hyperuricemia of gout and that secondary to haematoCogica{ disorders or antineapfasic therapy. :Many previous reports have pointed out the protective effects of a{Copurino{ on various forms of ischemic and inffammatory diseases. <Jlie aim of this stucfy was to eva{uate the possi6{e protective effect of a{Copurino{ on the eJ;perimenta{{y £-arginine induced pancreatitis of adu{t mafe a{6ino rat emp{oying histoCogica{ and histochemica{ methocfs. SV::J;y adu{t mafe a{6ino rats were sefected and divided into two groups; contra{ group and eJ;pen'menta{ group. <Jlie eJ;perimenta{ group was su6cfivided into si:( su6groups; the first three su6groups were injected intra-peritonea{(y with £-arginine for one, two and four week§ to induce pancreatitis, the second three su6groups were injected fik.§wise the first three su6groups group 6ut treated with a{Copurino{ 6efore the £-arginine injection. Light microscopic e.x:_amination of the pancreas of anima{s that received £-arginine, showed varia6{e degrees of distorted acinar pattern. rrfie 6Cood vessefs showed varia6{e

degrees of cfifatation and congestion, with peri-vascufar mononucfear ce{{u{ar infi{tration. rrfie cytopfasm of 6oth e.x:_ocrine and endocrine parts appeared vacuofatecf. rrfie connective tissue septae were mark.§d{y increased in thick,ness with advanced periocfs of £-arginine injection. rrfie co{fagen fi6ers were progressive{y increased; particufar{y around the congested 6Cood vessds and the cfi{ated ducts, and afso eJ(Jended in-6etween tfie Co6ufes and acini of the pancreas. jlnimafs that were

pretreated with a{Copurino{ showed that the norma{ pancreatic architecture was preserved and the inffammatory cef{s and cytopfasmic vacuofes were mark.§d{y decreased. In £-arginine injected groups, there was a gradua{ decrease in the succininc dehydrogenase activity that 6ecame apparent(y very weak,at the end of the

eJ;periment. rrfie acid phosphatase activity was marRsd{y increased after two week§ of £-arginine injection, however it 6ecame marRsd{y decreased at the end of the eJ;periment. In the groups that received a{Copurino{ 6efore £-arginine injection