Role of Cholecystokinin in the Regulation of Pancreatic Enzyme Secretion in the Rat

Whereas pancreatic exocrine secretion in the rat varies considerably depending on the condition under which a study is performed, it is of great importance to study pancreatic pathophysiology in vivo, while the rat is conscious. In recent years several studies were performed in the conscious rat with a cannulated pancreatic duct, and much progress was made in delineating the role of cholecystokinin (CCK) in the regulation of pancreatic enzyme secretion in more detail. This progress was mainly due to the development of specific and sensitive radioimmunoassays for CCK and the availability of specific CCK-receptor antagonists. In the rat it was shown that a negative feedback regulation mechanism of pancreatic enzyme and CCK secretion exists in which intraluminal trypsin and, to a lesser extent, bile acids and plasma CCK, plasma secretin, and the cholinergic system play important roles. Probably by interference with this feedback mechanism in the rat, casein is a stronger stimulant of plasma CCK release and pancreatic exocrine secretion than fat. Finally, CCK does not play an important role in bombesin-stimulated pancreatic enzyme secretion in the rat.