Comparison of pancreatic and renal blood flow in a canine tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy model

Abstract

The pancreas is believed to be vulnerable to hypoperfusion. In dogs with acute pancreatitis, pancreatic ischemia due to heart failure can worsen the condition. However, changes in pancreatic blood flow associated with decreased cardiac function have not been previously studied in dogs. Therefore, we aimed to identify and compare changes in pancreatic versus renal blood flow as a result of cardiac dysfunction. Seven dogs were subjected to rapid ventricular pacing to create heart failure models. Noninvasive blood pressure measurement, echocardiography, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for pancreatic blood flow measurement, and para-aminohippuric acid clearance for renal blood flow measurement were performed before starting and at 2 and 4 weeks after starting the pacing. Left ventricular cardiac output and mean blood pressure decreased at 2 and 4 weeks after starting the pacing, and pancreatic blood flow decreased at 2 and 4 weeks after starting the pacing. However, renal blood flow did not change at 2 weeks but decreased 4 weeks after starting the pacing. Overall, this study demonstrated that reduced pancreatic blood flow due to cardiac dysfunction occurs, similar to renal blood flow. This suggests that decreased pancreatic blood flow is not unusual and may frequently occur in dogs with heart failure. The results of this study support the speculation that heart failure can exacerbate acute pancreatitis. Additionally, this study provides useful basic information for designing further studies to study this association.

Histopathological changes in the pancreas due to decreased pancreatic blood flow in a canine tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy model

“…For this purpose, we used dogs with heart failure induced by RVP for 4 weeks. This study is a further study of our preceding article, which demonstrated that pancreatic blood flow decreased due to decreased cardiac function, and some of the data related to this study have already been published [ 14 ].…”

“…baseline vs. 4W; 38.5 ± 5.2% vs. 10.7 ± 2.3%), cardiac index decreased by approximately 25% (4.4 ± 0.5 l/min/m 2 vs. 3.2 ± 0.8 l/min/m 2 ), and mean blood pressure decreased by approximately 30% (102.7 ± 8.8 mmHg vs. 74.0 ± 10.2 mmHg), compared to that before the start of RVP (baseline). Furthermore, when pancreatic blood flow was measured using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, a decrease of about 50% in pancreatic blood flow was observed using the area under the curve, compared to that at baseline (369.7 ± 129.0 vs. 188.7 ± 99.7) [ 14 ]. However, the pathological changes caused in the pancreatic tissue by reduced blood flow remain unclear.…”

“…The method of creating heart failure model, the method of evaluating cardiac function and pancreatic blood flow, and those results will be omitted since this study was performed using the same animals as in the preceding article [ 14 ]. RVP was initiated with 4 volts of stimulation, at a frequency of 260 beats per min, for 4W.…”

Heart Failure and Pancreas Exocrine Insufficiency: Pathophysiological Mechanisms and Clinical Point of View

“…In (acute) heart failure induced by rapid ventricular pacing in dogs, pancreatic perfusion declines rapidly, even before significant limitations in renal blood flow are seen [ 55 ]. Older studies in humans already demonstrated that in cases of acute cardiogenic shock, the incidence of pancreatic injury is 50–55% in those with acute tubular necrosis and 9% in those without [ 56 ].…”

Protective Effect on Pancreatic Acinar Cell by Maintaining Cardiac Output in Canine Heart Failure Model With Decreased Pancreatic Blood Flow

“…Among the abdominal organs, the pancreas is known to be vulnerable to hypoperfusion (5). Previously, we developed a heart failure model in a dog by performing rapid ventricular pacing (RVP) and demonstrated the association between cardiac function and pancreatic perfusion by evaluating the change in pancreatic blood flow (PBF) in these animals (6). The findings of the study clarified that a decrease in CO lowers blood pressure and reduces PBF (6).…”