Effects of cholecystokinin and secretin on pancreatic duct pressure and pancreatic blood flow in Australian brush-tailed possums

AIM: To investigate the effects of cholecystokinin (CCK) and secretin on pancreatic duct pressure (PDP) and pancreatic blood flow (PBF) in Australian brush-tailed possums. METHODS: CCK and secretin (5 μg/kg) were intravenously injected into 6 brush-tailed possums respectively. Pancreatic duct of the possums were cannulated and PDP was measured by Maclab recording system separately. PBF was measured using laser Doppler flowmetry. RESULTS: Five minutes after CCK and secretin injection, PDP increased from 16.2 ± 1.8 and 16.8 ± 1.7 mmHg to 18.9 ± 2.1 and 25.6 ± 1.9 mmHg, and maintained high levels (17.6 ± 2.4 mmHg and 21.5 ± 2.5 mmHg) at the 15^th minute (P < 0.002 and P < 0.001); PBF increased from 0.58 ± 0.09 and 0.55 ± 0.04 mL/100 g to 0.75 ± 0.11 and 0.85 ± 0.12 mL/100 g, respectively, at the beginning after CCK and secretin injection. However, CCK and secretin made a continual PDP increase along with PBF decrease till maintaining a low level (0.51 ± 0.09 mL/100 g and 0.39 ± 0.11 mL/100 g, P < 0.001) within 15 minutes, but the influence of secretin was more significant than that of CCK (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: PDP can be increased by CCK and secretin injection, resulting in an increase of PBF, which may be the initial factor in the pathogenesis and development of acute biliary pancreatitis.