Ablation of serotonergic nerves in the rat pancreas. Lack of effects on hormone secretion and intrinsic blood flow.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the physiological role of intrapancreatic serotonergic nerves for endocrine pancreatic function. The specific uptake of [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) into pancreatic slices from the rat was completely abolished after an intrapancreatic injection of 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT). Since also high-affinity uptake of [3H]5-HT was absent it was concluded that intrapancreatic serotonergic nerves were destroyed. The effects of this selective denervation on glucose-stimulated insulin and somatostatin secretion were investigated with the aid of perfused rat pancreatic glands removed 3, 7 or 14 days after the injection of 5,7-DHT. Neither the basal release of these hormones nor their response to a glucose challenge was significantly altered by the ablation of the intrapancreatic serotonergic nerves. The microsphere technique was used to investigate the blood flow through the pancreatic islets in rats injected intrapencreatically with 5,7-DHT 4 days previously. No significant changes in either the whole pancreatic blood flow or the islet blood flow could be demonstrated. These result show that in normal physiological conditions the intrapancreatic serotonergic nerves do not affect the hormonal release from or the blood flow through the endocrine pancreas.