Chronic Alcohol Consumption Does Not Modify Cholecystokinin Blood Levels Estimated by Bioassay in the Dog

Abstract

Blood levels of cholecystokinin (CCK) were estimated by a bioassay on in vitro rabbit gallbladder in two series of dogs: 5 dogs receiving daily, for 12–18 months, 2 g kg^-1 ethanol through a gastric cannula and 5 control dogs which did not receive ethanol. CCK-like activity is no different in either group, neither in the fasting state nor after intraduodenal injection of oleic acid or intragastric injection of ethanol.

Rapid adaptation of pancreatic exocrine function to short-term alcohol feeding in rats

“…Hypersecretion of exocrine pancreas was previously attributed to the increased cholecystokinin (CCK) level in chronic alcoholics [12]. However, the basal plasma concentrations of CCK and secretin remain unchanged in chronic alcohol-treated animals [13,14] and humans [15]. Regardless, a direct link between CCK and acinar cell trypsin activation is hard to imagine under any physiological circumstances since concentrations of CCK approaching 0.1 ÌM must be used to activate zymogens within acinar cells in vitro [16].…”