Pancreatic exocrine function and cyclic nucleotides in the diabetic rat.

Streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus in the rat results in a 30% decrease in serum amylase and an 80% decrease in pancreatic amylase levels. Pancreatic trypsinogen levels decrease 50% whereas pancreatic lipase levels increase 30%. Plasma cyclic nucleotide levels (cAMP and cGMP) increase 40-100%, urine cyclic nucleotide levels decrease 75-99%, but pancreatic cyclic nucleotide levels are unchanged. Short-term insulin treatment restores pancreatic amylase and trypsinogen levels to normal but has no effect on serum amylase or pancreatic lipase levels. Plasma cAMP levels decrease 20% toward normal during insulin treatment, but no other effects on cyclic nucleotide levels occur. These data confirm the profound but reversible effect of experimental diabetes mellitus on pancreatic secretion of amylase and trypsinogen. The results suggest that cyclic nucleotides do not play a direct role in the generation of pancreatic exocrine deficiency in diabetes mellitus or its reversal by insulin.