Further Studies on Continuous Secretion of the Pancreas

Abstract

In a previous communication 1 observations were presented which indicate that in the dog pancreatic secretion is continuous during interdigestive periods, as it is in rabbits and ruminants. In another paper 2 we have discussed the inhibitory effect of ether anesthesia on continuous secretion, which explains the absence of continuous flow in the acute experiments of Bayliss and Starling. It has been claimed that continuous secretion in permanent fistulas is due to lack of neutralization of gastric hydrochloric acid by the pancreatic juice diverted from the intestine. 3

In order to determine whether this factor has an effect on continuous secretion the following experiment was performed. A dog was prepared with a system of altercursive intubation as described by Elman and McCaughan 3 by means of which the pancreatic juice was continuously returned to the intestine through the biliary tract. This consists of an intercommunicating system of tubes leading from the pancreas to the gall bladder in such a way that the flow of juice can be observed on the outside. By this procedure the pancreatic secretion was allowed to enter the duodenum through the ampulla of Vater and neutralization of the gastric juice could take place as in the normal animal. Elman 4 states that the gastric hypersecretion which he reports as accompanying complete drainage of pancreatic juice to the outside, does not occur under these conditions.