Is the hydrogen clearance technique a useful tool for measurements of pancreatic blood flow during acute experimental pancreatitis?

Changes of pancreatic blood flow (PBF) during acute pancreatitis (AP) have been under investigation by means of electromagnetic flowmeters, radioactive microspheres, isotope fractionation, radioactive gas clearance, and venous outflow techniques. All methods, however, have certain drawbacks, which make the application of other techniques desirable. In this study, the hydrogen clearance technique (HCT) was tested for the First time in a well-established foxhound model of AP. PBF, systemic blood pressure, and heart rate were monitored over 90 min after the onset of AP and 60 min after therapeutic infusion of Dextran-40 (10 ml/kg body wt). Our results fully agree with the data found by other techniques in this experimental model. Sixty-five of 73 electrodes implanted into the pancreas of eight foxhounds were found working. From 1,024 registered clearance curves, 876 were identified as monoexponential. In the other cases, and only then, we found either dislocation of the electrode tips (n = 6) or perielectrodal hemorrhage during histological examination (n = 4). We believe that the HCT is a feasible and reliable tool for measuring PBF in experimental settings like AP.