Effects of Chronic Ethanol Consumption on Pancreatic Response to Central Vagal Stimulation by 2-deoxy-D-glucose in the Rat

Male Wistar rats, fed a standard normal laboratory diet, drank ad libitum a 20% ethanol solution for 3 months. Basal and 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) stimulated pancreatic secretion were measured. Basal secretion of sodium (-30%, p less than 0.001), bicarbonate (-35%, p less than 0.001) and total protein (-35%, p less than 0.001) were depressed in alcoholic versus control rats. Pancreatic response was identical in both groups with the smaller dose of 2DG, dose related in controls, and identical for both doses in alcohol-fed rats. The response was thus significantly smaller in alcohol-fed rats than in controls for the larger dose of 2DG (p less than 0.01). Pancreatic concentration and contents of amylase, trypsinogen, chymotrypsinogen and lipase were all decreased in alcoholic versus control rats (40-60%, p less than 0.001). These results are consistent with the hypothesis of functional modifications in pancreatic cholinergic innervation in alcohol-fed rats.