Abstract
The purpose of this research is to explore the link between plasma amylase and insulin levels in growing pigs. Blood was obtained from piglets ranging in age from preterm (8 days to full gestation period), up to postnatal day 90 (2 months post-weaning) that underwent either duodenal-jejunal bariatric interposition surgery or a sham-operation. Plasma amylase activities in preterm and full-term neonates ranged between 500–600 U/L and were decreased by 50% two months post-weaning. Preprandial insulin and C-peptide levels in neonate piglets were not detectable, however they rose gradually after weaning. An increase in plasma amylase activity was observed in the young pigs that underwent duodenal-jejunum bypass (metabolic) surgery. The increase in blood pancreatic amylase activity after an intravenous amylase infusion lowered the subsequent glucose-stimulated insulin/C-peptide release. We suggest a role for blood amylase in the regulation of glucose homeostasis after observing high blood amylase levels in neonate pigs, in pigs that underwent metabolic surgery, and as a result of the reduced glucose-stimulated insulin response following intravenous amylase administration. Blood amylase level is a dynamic physiological parameter, which is not merely a consequence of exocrine pancreatic digestive enzyme production, but rather a regulated factor involved in glucose assimilation and prandial insulin regulation.
Highlights
100 years ago, researchers discovered the presence of pancreatic enzymes, such as amylase, in the blood [1,2,3]
The plasma amylase activities were 539±17 U/L for preterm and 642±94 U/L for full-term, unsuckled neonate piglets, whereas plasma insulin levels were below the detectable limit in both groups of neonates (Table 1)
Healthy, weaned, 3 month old pigs showed significantly lowered plasma amylase activity compared to that observed in newborn, full-term piglets (p = 0.03, Table 1)
Summary
100 years ago, researchers discovered the presence of pancreatic enzymes, such as amylase, in the blood [1,2,3]. Serum amylase (diastase) levels were found to be associated with various physiological changes, such as impaired hepatic function, and not merely a marker of exocrine pancreatic function [2, 4]. Serum amylase activity was found to be highly. Stefan Pierzynowski is the owner and Kateryna Pierzynowska is employed in Anara AB, Sweden. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials
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