Is the rat pancreas an appropriate model of the human pancreas?

During my lifetime in pancreatic research, rat and mouse have largely replaced dog and cat in experimental studies. However, as this review clearly demonstrates, the anatomy, physiology and molecular cell biology of the rat pancreas (and also probably the mouse pancreas) differ substantially from those in humans. Indeed, they differ more in rat/mouse than any other common laboratory species. These differences may be irrelevant if one is using the pancreas as a generic model in which to study, say, acinar cell exocytosis or signalling. But if one is interested in more specific aspects of human pancreatic function, especially ductal function, in health and disease, in my opinion the simple answer to the question posed by the title of this article is no: other species are more appropriate. Copyright (C) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel and IAP.