Protein profiles in rabbit pancreatic juice analyzed by HPLC after stimulation of secretion by secretin and cerulein.

This study analyzed the secretory pattern of pancreatic proteins released from the rabbit pancreas after acute stimulation of secretion by the cholecystokinin analog cerulein. To facilitate this, a new analytical approach utilizing high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was considered. Secretin (0.1 CU/kg x h) was intravenously infused in anaesthetized rabbits in combination with cerulein (0.05, 0.2 or 0.05 followed by 0.2 ug/kg x h) over 3 hours. Pancreatic juice was collected from the main pancreatic duct. The release of protein, amylase, trypsin and chymotrypsin was measured by conventional photometric methods, and the protein profiles were analyzed by reversed phase HPLC. Separation of pancreatic juice proteins by HPLC (Nucleosil 300-7 RP column; injection of 50 ul aliquots of samples normalized to 10 mg/ml protein concentration) resulted in a resolution of up to 16 peaks. Peaks representing amylase, prolipase, prophospholipase A2, procarboxypeptidases, chymotrypsinogen, trypsinogen, and glycoproteins were identified with some certainty by SDS-gel electrophoresis. Secretin infusion produced a small and short lasting rise in total protein secretion but lead to a persistent increase of fluid flow. The release of enzymes followed a mainly parallel pattern according to the photometric measurements. The resolution of the whole profile of pancreatic juice proteins by HPLC demonstrated only minor variations without a consistent or increasing tendency towards a preferential release of individual enzymes. Since even microheterogenities in the samples became apparent after HPLC, this approach would be sensitive enough to mirror effects like nonparallel release of enzymes.