Role of cholecystokinin in bombesin-stimulated pancreatic enzyme secretion in conscious rats

Since bombesin is a potent stimulus of cholecystokinin (CCK) secretion, it is assumed that the stimulatory effect of bombesin on pancreatic protein secretion is mediated by CCK. This study was undertaken to determine in the conscious rat with a cannulated pancreatic duct the role of CCK in the stimulation of pancreatic protein secretion by bombesin. Infusion of 18 pmol/kg/30 min of bombesin into rats stimulated pancreatic protein secretion from 6.7 +/- 1.1 to 9.9 +/- 0.4 mg/30 min (p less than 0.05). This stimulation of pancreatic protein secretion was accompanied by a significant increase in plasma CCK, measured by a specific and sensitive radioimmunoassay, from 3.2 +/- 0.2 to 4.7 +/- 0.2 pM (p less than 0.01). When a similar plasma CCK increment as during infusion of bombesin (1.5 +/- 0.2 pM) was achieved by infusion of 6 pmol/kg/30 min of exogenous CCK (1.6 +/- 0.3 pM), pancreatic protein secretion increased only from 6.9 +/- 0.7 to 7.6 +/- 0.7 mg/30 min (p less than 0.05). To achieve a pancreatic protein secretion similar to that during bombesin, large doses of exogenous CCK (24 pmol/kg/30 min) were needed, resulting in considerably higher plasma CCK concentrations of 10.9 +/- 0.7 pM. It is concluded that CCK is unlikely to play a significant role in the stimulation of pancreatic protein secretion by bombesin in the rat.