The Effects of Ethanol on Pancreatic Blood Flow in Awake and Anesthetized Dogs

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Abstract
The pathophysiology of alcohol-induced acute pancreatitis is not clear. Ischemic injury has been suggested as a possible mechanism. To examine the effects of ethanol on pancreatic and splanchnic blood flow, measurements were made in fasted, conditioned awake dogs before and after i.v. infusion of ethanol (1.7 g/kg). At 30 min blood ethanol concentration ranged between 60-150 mg/dl and at 60 min between 166-350 mg/dl. Although cardiac output, aortic pressure, left atrial pressure and arterial pH did not change, pancreatic flow declined by 39 .+-. 12 ml/min per 100 g, P < 0.05 (from 173 .+-. 10 ml/min per 100 g) at 30 min and was still depressed (by 27 .+-. 12 ml/min per 100 g, P < 0.05) at 60 min. Concomitantly, hepatic arterial flow increased. While hepatic and pancreatic flow changed inversely, the correlation (r = -0.17) of these changes was not significant. At comparable blood ethanol concentrations in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs hepatic arterial flow increased by 11 .+-. ml/min per 100 g, P < 0.01 (from 24 .+-. 5 ml/min per 100 g), but pancreatic flow did not change. In the awake dog at blood levels that would produce mild to moderate alcoholic intoxication in man, ethanol reduces pancreatic flow. Although hepatic flow increased concomitantly, the relationship of these changes appeared to be independent.

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