Effects of gastrointestinal hormones on pancreatic growth.

This article discusses experiments demonstrating that the gastrointestinal hormones, gastrin, secretin, and CCK (cholecystokinin), stimulate the growth of the exocrine pancreas. Exogenous gastrin, secretin, and CCK increase pancreatic weight DNA, RNA and protein content of the rat pancreas. Antrectomy, which removes most endogenous gastrin, decreases pancreatic growth. The effects of antrectomy are prevented by exogenous gastrin. Infusion of HCl into the duodenum to release secretin and infusion of amino acids into the duodenum to release CCK also stimulate pancreatic growth. These results provide evidence that the regulation of pancreatic growth is an important action of the gastrointestinal hormones.