Digestion of fat and protein and its relation to the activity of faecal enzymes in mucoviscidosis infants under substitution therapy with pancreatic enzymes (author's transl)

Abstract

The article reports on a study to determine the influence of different dosage schedules of a pancreas enzyme preparation on the digestion of fat and protein and on the lipolytic, tryptic and chymotryptic activity of the faeces in children suffering from mucoviscidose. After administration of the pancreatin preparation at the low dose level, the quantity of faeces, the excretion of fatty acids and of nitrogen are reduced and the absorption coefficient is improved. The faecal tryptic and chymotryptic activity increases, whereas the lipase activity in the faeces merely shows a tendency to rise. Increasing the pancreatin dose up to a still tolerable value by doubling the dosage does not result in further reduction of the excretion of fat and nitrogen although it enhances the proteolytic activity of the faeces while the lipase activity remains unaffected. Determination of the lipolytic, tryptic or chymotryptic activity is, therefore, unsuitable for assessing the fat and protein digestion and for estimating the required dose of pancreatic enzyme. No increase in uric acid excretion was seen in the urine collected for 24 hours after administration of both enzyme doses.