Repeated I. V. Injections of Calcium Salts Give Rise to Increased Exocrine Pancreatic Cell Sensitivity to Caerulein and Urecholine in the Dog

The persisting modifications induced by repeated intravenous infusion of calcium salts were investigated in five dogs with Thomas fistulae. Five control dogs were also tested. In calcium treated dogs the pancreatic secretion stimulated by graded doses of either caerulein or urecholine showed: a) an increase in the sensitivity of acinar cells to caerulein and urecholine and potentiation by caerulein of the water and bicarbonate response to secretin, in contrast to the decreased sensitivity to secretin alone reported previously. b) an inhibition of water and bicarbonate secretion with urecholine stimulation, c) an inhibition of calcium secretion which was significant with caerulein. These findings could explain the data previously observed on basal pancreatic secretion of calcium treated dogs such as protein hypersecretion with protein precipitates and reduced bicarbonate secretion which are similar to modifications observed in chronic alcoholic dogs and men. These results have a clinical relevance to the understanding of the pathology of chronic pancreatitis.