Blood Amylase Response to Acetyl-Beta-Methylcholine Chloride in Pancreatectomized Dogs. ∗

Abstract

It has been shown that there is a conspicuous rise of blood amylase after the administration of acetyl-beta-methylcholine chloride.† 1 In order to determine the possible pancreatic origin of this increase, the experiments were repeated both before and after pancreatectomy. Determinations of the blood amylase in 5 dogs showed constant rises in the blood amylase titer after the intramuscular administration of the choline ester. The same dogs were then pancreatectomized under pernoston anesthesia and the extent of the blood amylase response to acetyl-beta-methylcholine chloride was again estimated. The viscosimetric method utilized for these determinations was identical with that reported in the original communication. 1 Determinations were made on the insulin-treated pancreatectomized animal in the fasting state, without the administration of insulin on the day of the experiment. A fasting specimen of blood, and one collected 4 hours after the intramuscular administration of acetyl-beta-methylcholine chloride was deemed sufficient for this investigation. Repeated post-pancreatectomy estimations revealed no blood amylase increase (Table I), the rise obtained in the unoperated animal being totally or almost totally abolished after removal of the pancreas.

In one dog, it was noted that the blood amylase could again be elicited about 4 weeks after pancreatectomy. We suspected, therefore, that remnants of the pancreas remained which later regenerated and hypertrophied. With this in mind, an exploratory laporatomy was performed, and 8.5 gm. of pancreatic tissue was found and removed. After this secondary operation, no amylase response to acetyl-beta-methylcholine chloride could be elicited after a period of 55 days. Table II.)

As additional controls, determinations were made on 4 dogs after pernoston anesthesia alone, and after abdominal operations. Although the Blood amylase in some of these failed to show an appreciable rise after the procedure, the rise could again be elicited after a period of from one to 2 days.