Secretin secretion in patients with duodenal ulcer, chronic pancreatitis and diabetes mellitus.

Secretin releasing response to intraduodenal acid infusion was investigated in 15 cases of diseased control, 7 cases of duodenal ulcer, 5 cases of chronic pancreatitis, and 6 cases of diabetes mellitus. Plasma secretin levels in response to duodenal acidification were less in duodenal ulcer and the appearance of the maximal peak was delayed compared with that found in control. It is suggested that the secretin release was impaired in duodenal ulcer in spite of hypersecretion of gastric acids. In chronic pancreatitis, secretin releasing response to acidification was markedly impaired, in addition, inhibition of secretin release by bicarbonate was diminished due to a lack of bicarbonate flow from the pancreas. On the other hand, although the response of secretin release in diabetes mellitus was also lower compared with that in control group, the capacity of secretin response showed values in-between control subjects and chronic pancreatitis. This research was supported in part by grant from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture in Japan.