Effects of serum from trypsin inhibitor fed rats on enzyme secretion and protein synthesis by exocrine pancreatic cells

Abstract

Oral feeding of trypsin inhibitor is known to stimulate rat pancreatic enzyme secretion and cause hypertrophy of the pancreas. In an attempt to detect a possible serum factor(s) responsible, the effects of serum from trypsin inhibitor fed rats on enzyme secretion and protein synthesis by isolated exocrine rat pancreatic cells in suspension were studied.

Serum from trypsin inhibitor fed rats stimulated the secretion of pancreatic enzymes significantly more than serum from control rats. The data suggest that a humoral factor or factors may be involved in the stimulation of pancreatic enzyme secretion by oral trypsin inhibitor.

Serum from trypsin inhibitor fed rats as well as serum from control rats stimulated the ³H-leucine incorporation into protein (protein synthesis) to a significant extent. There was, however, no difference in the effects of the two types of sera in this respect.

Key-words:

• enzyme secretion
• feedback mechanism
• isolated exocrine pancreatic cells
• oral trypsin inhibitor
• protein synthesis