Contrasting effects of circulating nitric oxide and nitrergic transmission on exocrine pancreatic secretion in rats

Background—Nitric oxide (NO) blockade byl-nitroarginine methyl ester (l-NAME) inhibits pancreatic secretion in vivo and aggravates caerulein induced pancreatitis. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is present in pancreatic islets, endothelium, and nerve fibres. l-NAME blocks all known NOS isoforms.Aim—To investigate the source of NO blocked byl-NAME that inhibits amylase secretion.Methods—Amylase output was measured in rats in response to caerulein (0.1–50 μg/kg) alone or with indazole. Baseline secretion and the response to supramaximal caerulein were also examined after administration of indazole, l-NAME, haemoglobin, or aminoguanidine under continuous blood pressure measurement. In separate experiments, pancreatic secretion was measured after blockade of afferent nerve fibres by either systemic or local capsaicin. The effect of neural NOS inhibition on caerulein induced pancreatitis was also investigated.Results—l-NAME, haemoglobin, and supramaximal caerulein (10 μg/kg) increased blood pressure, whereas indazole and suboptimal caerulein (0.1 μg/kg) did not. Indazole and capsaicin decreased basal amylase output. l-NAME and haemoglobin reduced basal amylase output to a lesser extent and potentiated the inhibitory response to supramaximal caerulein. In contrast, full neural NOS inhibition by l-NAME partially reversed the expected caerulein induced suppression of amylase output. This effect was reproduced by indazole and capsaicin. Indazole did not alter responses to either optimal (0.25 μg/kg) or suboptimal (0.1 μg/kg) caerulein, nor, in contrast with l-NAME, aggravate the outcome of caerulein induced pancreatitis.Conclusions—Reduction of circulating NO availability, probably of endothelial origin, is responsible for the decrease in amylase secretion observed in the early response tol-NAME. Nitrergic neurotransmission plays an important role in the control of pancreatic secretion and may induce opposite effects to endothelial NOS activity.

Somatostatin inhibits CCK release by inhibiting secretion and action of CCK-releasing peptide

We hypothesized that somatostatin exerts its inhibitory action on cholecystokinin (CCK) release and pancreatic secretion by inhibiting the secretion and/or action of a CCK-releasing peptide (CCK-RP) secreted from the small intestine. Our studies demonstrated that intravenous infusion of somatostatin (25 micrograms.kg-1.h-1) completely inhibited the increase in amylase output evoked by diversion of bile-pancreatic juice and 80 +/- 10% of the increase in plasma CCK. Intraduodenal administration of concentrated intestinal perfusate containing the CCK-RP collected from a donor rat with bile-pancreatic juice diversion raised amylase output by 2.3-fold and elevated plasma CCK levels to 7 +/- 0.8 pM in a recipient rat. The stimulatory effect of the concentrated intestinal washings was abolished when the "donor" rat was pretreated with somatostatin. In addition, in somatostatin-treated "recipient" rats, intraduodenal administration of intestinal washings containing CCK-RP also failed to elicit an increase in plasma CCK and amylase secretion. Furthermore, using duodenal mucosal explants, we demonstrated that the inhibitory action of somatostatin on CCK release evoked by CCK-RP was antagonized by pretreatment with pertussis toxin. These observations strongly suggest that somatostatin inhibits feedback regulation of pancreatic enzyme secretion by inhibiting both the secretion and action of CCK-RP.

Effects of atropine on pancreatic response to bethanechol, cholecystokinin, and food intake in rats

Atropine was used to examine the role of cholinergic mechanisms in the pancreatic secretory response to food intake. Unanesthetized rats with gastric, jugular vein, bile-pancreatic, and duodenal cannulas were used; bile-pancreatic juice was recirculated. The maximal response to bethanechol (4 mg.kg-1.h-1) was similar to cholecystokinin (CCK)-8-induced maximal secretion. Atropine (25-200 micrograms.kg-1.h-1) markedly inhibited basal amylase output and caused dose-related inhibition of the incremental response to a maximal dose of bethanechol. Atropine (50 micrograms.kg-1.h-1) shifted the dose-response curve to bethanechol (1-32 mg.kg-1.h-1) to the right but did not alter maximal amylase output. L 364718 (0.5 mg/kg), a CCK receptor antagonist, had no effect on bethanechol-stimulated pancreatic secretion. Atropine (50 micrograms.kg-1.h-1) did not affect the incremental responses to low doses of CCK-8; the maximal response occurred at a higher CCK-8 dose because atropine decreased basal secretion. Atropine (50 or 200 micrograms.kg-1.h-1) did not decrease the amylase response to ingestion of a liquid meal. We conclude that 1) bethanechol is a full agonist for stimulation of pancreatic enzyme secretion and its effects are not mediated by CCK release; 2) atropine is a competitive antagonist of bethanechol-induced pancreatic secretion in vivo but does not directly affect responses to CCK-8; 3) cholinergic mechanisms do not mediate the pancreatic enzyme response to a liquid meal in rats.

Effect of CCK antagonist L 364718 on meal-induced pancreatic secretion in rats

The specific cholecystokinin (CCK)-receptor antagonist L 364718 was used to examine the role of CCK in meal-induced pancreatic secretion. Unanesthetized rats with gastric, jugular vein, bilepancreatic, and duodenal cannulas were used; bile-pancreatic juice was recirculated. Basal amylase secretion (30% of maximal) was not inhibited by L 364718 doses of 0.5 or 2 mg/kg intravenously. L 364718 (0.02 to 2 mg/kg) caused dose-related inhibition of the maximal amylase response to CCK-8 (200 pmol.kg-1.h-1), with greater than 80% inhibition at doses greater than or equal to 0.5 mg/kg. L 364718 (0.5 mg/kg) shifted the dose-response curve to CCK-8 (25-3,200 pmol.kg-1.h-1) to the right (ED50 increased 10-fold) but did not alter maximal amylase output consistent with competitive inhibition of CCK in vivo. Ingestion of liquid food significantly increased amylase output threefold above basal. L 364718 (0.5 mg/kg) completely blocked this response. These results suggest that although CCK does not regulate basal pancreatic enzyme secretion, it is the primary mediator of pancreatic enzyme secretion in response to a liquid meal.

An important role of endogenous insulin on exocrine pancreatic secretion in rats

We have investigated a physiological role of endogenous insulin on exocrine pancreatic secretion stimulated by a liquid meal as well as exogenous secretin and cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) in conscious rats. Each rat was prepared with a chronic pancreatic fistula and an indwelling catheter in a jugular vein. Oral ingestion of a liquid meal (5 ml) resulted in significant increases in pancreatic secretion, including volume, bicarbonate, and amylase output, in these rats. A rabbit anti-insulin serum (1.0 ml) given intravenously completely blocked the postprandial exocrine pancreatic secretion, whereas a normal rabbit serum did not influence the pancreatic secretion in the same rats. When pancreatic secretion was stimulated by intravenous administration of both secretin and CCK-8 in three different doses, including 0.015, 0.03, and 0.06 clinical unit and microgram.kg-1.h-1, respectively, volume, bicarbonate, and amylase output increased significantly in a dose-dependent manner. This increase in pancreatic secretion was also completely blocked by a rabbit anti-insulin serum, whereas it was not influenced by a normal rabbit serum. The amount of the antiserum employed abolished the postprandial increases in plasma insulin concentration. We conclude that endogenous insulin plays an important role on the regulation of postprandial pancreatic secretion in rats. Furthermore, for the stimulatory action of the two intestinal hormones secretin and CCK-8 on the pancreatic exocrine secretion, endogenous insulin is need.