Extensive small bowel resection produces pancreatic hyperplasia and increases plasma gastrin levels in the rat. Because gastrin is known as a trophic factor for the exocrine pancreas, we studied the effect of endogenous variations of gastrin induced by different gastric operations on the rat pancreas in both resected and transected animals. Vagotomy increased plasma gastrin level while antrectomy decreased it; pyloroplasty was without any effect. These gastric operations enhanced slightly but not significantly the pancreatic weight, its protein and DNA content. A 90% jejunoileal resection alone increased markedly these parameters while mitotic figures appeared in acinar cells. Pyloroplasty, vagotomy and antrectomy did not modify the changes induced by intestinal resection itself except the level of protein. These findings suggest that hypergastrinemia produced by intestinal resection is not responsible for pancreatic hyperplasia.
A 90% jejunoileal bypass induces in the rat a protein malnutrition state which is characterized (1) by the decreased level of plasma proteins and albumins and (2) by the reduced level of most essential and non-essential plasma amino acids. In the exocrine pancreas there was a decreased content of digestive enzymes, especially of amylase, while the secretion of enzymes studied in vitro was reduced. In the ileum left in one piece, the specific activities of maltase and sucrase increased significantly while aminopeptidase was unaffected. It is suggested that exocrine pancreatic insufficiency observed after small bowel bypass in the rat might contribute to protein malnutrition (1) by producing maldigestion and (2) by inducing an imbalance in intestinal enzymes favouring a preferential absorption of carbohydrates compared to proteins, thus emphasizing the protein malnutrition state.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.