Plasma neurotensin in the conscious pig: release by individual food components and effects on exocrine pancreas secretion

In conscious pigs, i.v. infusion of serial doses of neurotensin (NT, actual doses of 0.24-59.4 pmol.kg-1.min-1) on a background of secretin resulted in a linear increase of plasma NT-like immunoreactivity (NT-LI), as measured with an antiserum that requires the biologically active C-terminal part of the molecule for recognition. The NT infusions were accompanied by a dose-related increase of pancreatic volume and bicarbonate and protein output. The threshold plasma NT-LI concentrations for significant increases of pancreatic enzymes and of pancreatic fluid and bicarbonate were 46.6 +/- 7.0 and 161.3 +/- 10.8 pM, respectively. Food intake was followed by a sharp pancreatic response and a progressive increase of plasma NT-LI level to a peak of about 27.7 +/- 3.0 pM from the basal level 11.8 +/- 1.6 pM. The carbohydrate fraction of the meal was predominantly responsible for the NT release observed after meal intake. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of plasma samples collected during NT infusion or after meal ingestion revealed one immunoreactive peak coeluting with intact NT. Pancreatic polypeptide was released on infusion of high, supraphysiological doses of NT, while plasma somatostatin remained at low basal values. It is concluded that in the pig, intact NT is released after a standard meal predominantly through the carbohydrate fraction of the diet, NT is a stimulant of exocrine pancreas secretion, and the modest pancreatic response to physiologic increments of plasma NT-LI on peptide infusion is not attributable to indirect inhibition of the exocrine pancreas by NT-released pancreatic polypeptide or somatostatin.