[Gastric and exocrine pancreatic function in patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma and with bone diseases under treatment with calcitonin (author's transl)].

Calcitonin (CT) inhibits gastric acid and pancreatic enzyme secretion when infused intravenously. Therefore, in two patients showing excessively elevated CT-blood levels due to medullary thyroid carcinoma and in two patients with bone diseases before and under CT-treatment, gastric and pancreatic secretion were measured. Spontaneous (BAO) and pentagastrin stimulated acid as well as hormonally stimulated pancreatic enzyme secretion revealed normal in all subjects and tests. The findings are in favour of adaptation mechanisms of gastric parietal and pancreatic acinar cells against the inhibitory action of chronically elevated CT. Therefore, long term treatment with CT is no likely to induce impaired acidity or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.