Response of the Rat Exocrine Pancreas to Secretin and Cholecystokinin-Pancreozymin

Abstract

In rats with chronic pancreatic fistulas, infusion of a preparation of Gastrointestinal Hormone Research Unit cholecystokinin-pancreozymin (CCK-PZ) resulted in significant increases in the flow of pancreatic juice and its content of bicarbonate. However, it could not be stated with certainty from the present data whether these increases were due to the CCK-PZ itself, the secretin contaminating the CCK-PZ preparation, or whether some interaction had taken place between the CCK-PZ and the contaminating secretin when the CCK-PZ preparation was administered. When this CCK-PZ was infused with submaximal doses of secretin, there resulted a greatly augmented pancreatic response to secretin. It must be the subject of further experimental study to determine whether a true interaction occurs between CCK-PZ and secretin in stimulating the flow and bicarbonate output of pancreatic juice, and whether in rats, during digestion, CCK-PZ plays an important role in augmenting the pancreatic response to secretin.