Sources of Pancreatic Pathogens in Acute Pancreatitis in Cats

The source(s) of pancreatic pathogens is uncertain, although the colon is usually implicated. We studied whether pathogens may spread from different sites in a feline model of the disease. Acute pancreatitis was induced using a standard technique and a distinctive clinical strain of Escherichia coli as the marker bacterium. E. coli were placed in the colon, gall bladder, main pancreatic duct, or obstructed renal pelvis of control cats (no pancreatitis) and acute pancreatitis cats. Pancreases were colonized from each source, whether or not pancreatitis was present. The pancreatic colonization rate was greater in acute pancreatitis only when E. coli had been placed in the colon. In conclusion, E. coli may spread to the pancreas from different sources. The high rate of pancreatic colonization in both control and inflamed glands suggested that, clinically, bacteria may spread to the pancreas more frequently than is currently thought.