Blood glucose, insulin and amylase levels in pancreatic lesion due to pancreatography

Abstract

Blood glucose, insulin and amylase levels were repeatedly determined in 8 patients developing pancreatic lesion after diagnostic pancreatography. The injection into the pancreatic duct of small amounts (2–8 ml) of contrast medium resulted invariably in a rise in blood amylase level, which was associated in some of the patients with insulin release and increased blood glucose. With larger doses of contrast medium (14–18 ml) blood amylase was considerably increased, the rise in plasma insulin level also being more marked. Elevation of blood insulin and glucose concentrations may be accounted for by the release of glucagon and insulin from the damaged islet cells. The biochemical changes observed in pancreatic lesions due to pancreatography might provide some information concerning the pathogenetic mechanism of spontaneous pancreatitis in man.