Reduced inhibitory effect of somatostatin on the exocrine function of the pancreas and on serum insulin (IRI) levels in chronic relapsing pancreatitis.

Abstract

In 3 healthy men and 4 healthy women, and in 5 men and 2 women with confirmed chronic relapsing pancreatitis (CRP) the inhibitory effect of somatostatin cn pancreatic exocrine function and insulin secretion stimulated with pancreozymin and secretin was determined. In all 7 patients with CRP the volume of pancreatic juice and the bicarbonate and amylase and protein output after stimulation were lower than in healthy subjects, and somatostatin had a reduced inhibitory effect on both the basal secretion and particularly on the pancreozymin-secretin-stimulated secretion. A similarly lower inhibitory effect of somatostatin on the secretin-pancreozymin induced increase in blood insulin (IRI) level was observed in these patients. The presented data suggest that the damaged pancreas reacts less effectively not only to the stimuli enhancing its exocrine and endocrine secretory activity, but also to the stimuli inhibiting this activity. This observation may be of practical value for the evaluation of the functional efficiency of the pancreas.