[The morphogenesis of the structural changes of the exocrine pancreas after ligation of the excretory duct].

Unlabelled: The changes in the exocrine pancreas were investigated after ligature of the excretory duct in 51 Wistar rats. A qualitative microdetermination of the epithelial cells was carried out in the originated ductulus-like structures.

Conclusions: The acinic epithelial cells grow atrophically first of all and become necrotic in the end. A dedifferentiated acinic cellular atrophy with metamorphosis to a ductulus-like cell type could not be observed. Proliferative and preproliferative events occur in the duct epithelial cells. Cystic ductulus-like structures originated from this. These fill out the former acinic areas by immature, few differentiated, pluripotent epithelial cells that look similar to embryonal pancreatic cells.