Exocrine Pancreatic Secretion in Normal Controls and Chronic Calcifying Pancreatitis Patients from Burundi: Possible Dietary Influences

Abstract

Pure pancreatic juice composition was studied, after secretin and cerulein stimulation in 29 people from Burundi (Central Africa): 17 controls and 12 alcoholic chronic pancreatitis (CP) patients. Results were compared to similar data in France. African controls had a similar pancreatic response to hormones apart from a much lower lipase secretion than French controls. In the early non-calcified stage of African CP water and bicarbonate secretion were markedly diminished while protein and lipase concentrations were enhanced. In the late stage, secretion was exhausted except that of calcium. Nutritional data were obtained under the same conditions in 40 African controls and in 34 CP patients (including all patients tested for secretion). African controls had a very low fat intake (35.2 ± 2.6g/day), and patients had a higher protein and fat intake (144.7 ± 5.9 and 66.2 ± 4.8g/day, respectively) than local controls: as in other countries, CP was associated with a diet enriched in alcohol, fat and protein.

L-arginine-NO-cGMP signalling pathway in pancreatitis

“…NOS expression in the exocrine parenchyma, especially in ductal cells and in duct radicles including centroacinar cells, is in line with reports about an active involvement of NO signalling in the regulation of water and secretion of bicarbonate and chloride ions in pancreatic ductal cells3334. Taken together with reports from other groups about NOS localization in endocrine and exocrine secretory granules1935, our findings of NOS and other enzymes engaged in NO signalling in secretory cells may imply an involvement of NO signalling in maturation and/or concentration of zymogens in zymogen granules.…”

“…The reduced population of acinar cells on account of a ductal cellular phenotype may be the reason for disorders in the rates of both protein synthesis and intracellular transport of secretory proteins observed in pancreatitis2932. This might also explain a marked diminishing of water and bicarbonate secretion with pancreatic juice observed in chronic pancreatitis patients33.…”

New Insight into the Role of Nitric Oxide Pathways in Pancreas

“…Our data on NOS expression in the exocrine parenchyma, especially in ductal cells and in duct radicles including centroacinar cells [11], is in line with reports about an active involvement of NO signaling in the regulation of water and secretion of bicarbonate and chloride ions in pancreatic ductal cells [23, 26]. Taken together with reports from other groups about NOS localization in endocrine and exocrine secretory granules [19, 25], our findings of NOS and other enzymes engaged in NO signaling in secretory cells [11] may imply an involvement of NO signaling in maturation and/or concentration of zymogens in zymogen granules.…”