Pancreatic enzyme stimulation of intestinal chloride secretion.

Mucosal addition of pancreatic enzymes (i.e., chymotrypsinogen and amylase) to a short-circuited Ussing chamber containing a section of stripped rabbit ileum greatly increases short-circuit current (SCC). SCC increases slowly, requiring several hours to reach peak response to enzyme addition. Serosal addition of enzyme or mucosal addition of albumin produces no such response. Chloride flux in the absence of enzyme conforms to behavior predicted for predominantly paracellular movement. Chymotrypsinogen in the mucosal bath augments serosal-to-mucosal chloride flux in a manner consistent with an intracellular pathway. The chloride secretion produced by enzyme addition is of similar magnitude to the additional increment in SCC.