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INVESTIGATIONS INTO HYPERLIPIDEMIA AND ITS POSSIBLE ...

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159<br />

CHAPTER VII<br />

SUMMARY <strong>AND</strong> CONCLUSIONS<br />

An association between hyperlipidemia and pancreatitis was first noted in<br />

humans by Speck in 1865. 253 Several clinical and experimental studies in humans and<br />

animals, respectively, have been conducted since then, and today, severe<br />

hypertriglyceridemia is a well recognized risk factor for pancreatitis in humans. 254-257<br />

The mechanism by which hypertriglyceridemia induces pancreatitis is not clear, but it<br />

has been suggested that serum triglycerides are hydrolyzed by the action of pancreatic<br />

lipase, leading to excessive production of free fatty acids, which are toxic to the<br />

pancreatic acinar cell. 259,260 Another possible hypothesis is that hyperviscosity develops<br />

as a result of increased chylomicrons and/or VLDLs within the capillaries, which in turn<br />

leads to ischemia of pancreatic tissue. 258 Finally, genetic factors, such as mutations of<br />

the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene or the SPINK1 gene may<br />

play a role by sensitizing the pancreas to the effects of hypertriglyceridemia. 258<br />

A similar relationship between hypertriglyceridemia and pancreatitis has been<br />

suggested for dogs, and co-existence of the 2 conditions has been frequently<br />

described. 15,33,34,37,49,52,66,83,165 However, this association remains obscure in dogs because<br />

the etiology of hypertriglyceridemia cannot always be determined in these studies. It has<br />

been speculated that the presence of hypertriglyceridemia in dogs with pancreatitis might<br />

be due to a pre-existing disorder of lipid metabolism, which may or may not be related to

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