Impact of Severe Burns on Pancreatic Islets: An Experimental Model in Rats

Abstract

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Severe burn victims experience a systemic inflammatory response and a hypermetabolic response that can generate adverse effects on many distant organs and systems. Our aim in this study was to describe the histopathological changes in the pancreatic islets secondary to severe burns in an experimental animal model. MATERIALS & METHODS: Fourteen Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: the sham group and the burn group. A full-thickness burn model was designed to induce a burn of 25% total body surface area. Seven days after burn induction and sham procedure, pancreatectomy was performed. Pancreatic tissues were examined under light microscopy, and islet size and cellularity were calculated. RESULTS: The histopathologic examination was unremarkable, but the mean number of islets per pancreatic tissue was lower in the burn group than in the sham group. We observed a significant difference in the mean number of cells per one islet between the 2 groups, with the cell count higher in the burn group (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: During the acute phase of burn injury in rats, we observed a decrease in the number of pancreatic islets with remarkable hypercellularity. Further studies are needed to determine the histological and cellular basis of these changes.