Effects of atropine on pancreatic response to bethanechol, cholecystokinin, and food intake in rats.

Atropine was used to examine the role of cholinergic mechanisms in the pancreatic secretory response to food intake. Unanesthetized rats with gastric, jugular vein, bile-pancreatic, and duodenal cannulas were used; bile-pancreatic juice was recirculated. The maximal response to bethanechol (4 mg.kg-1.h-1) was similar to cholecystokinin (CCK)-8-induced maximal secretion. Atropine (25-200 micrograms.kg-1.h-1) markedly inhibited basal amylase output and caused dose-related inhibition of the incremental response to a maximal dose of bethanechol. Atropine (50 micrograms.kg-1.h-1) shifted the dose-response curve to bethanechol (1-32 mg.kg-1.h-1) to the right but did not alter maximal amylase output. L 364718 (0.5 mg/kg), a CCK receptor antagonist, had no effect on bethanechol-stimulated pancreatic secretion. Atropine (50 micrograms.kg-1.h-1) did not affect the incremental responses to low doses of CCK-8; the maximal response occurred at a higher CCK-8 dose because atropine decreased basal secretion. Atropine (50 or 200 micrograms.kg-1.h-1) did not decrease the amylase response to ingestion of a liquid meal. We conclude that 1) bethanechol is a full agonist for stimulation of pancreatic enzyme secretion and its effects are not mediated by CCK release; 2) atropine is a competitive antagonist of bethanechol-induced pancreatic secretion in vivo but does not directly affect responses to CCK-8; 3) cholinergic mechanisms do not mediate the pancreatic enzyme response to a liquid meal in rats.