A comparison of Boots and GIH secretin as stimuli of pancreatic secretion in human subjects with or without chronic pancreatitis

The effects of single intravenous injections of 1 u/kg body weight Boots and 1 u/kg GIH secretin were compared in 10 male control subjects and five men with chronic pancreatitis. The duodenum was aspirated for the next hour in 4 x 10 minute and 1 x 20 minute fractions, and the volume, bicarbonate concentration, and tryptic activity were measured. The duodenal juice volume and peak bicarbonate output in response to GIH secretin 1 u/kg iv were double the responses to Boots secretin 1 u/kg, but tryptic activity was significantly less. The coefficients of variation of these measurements were not appreciably improved by expression of the results in terms of body weight. Measurements of bicarbonate concentration or enzyme output in the submaximal pancreatic function tests using Boots secretin 1 u/kg were of some use as diagnostic discriminants between normal subjects and patients with chronic pancreatitis. However, these measurements were of little value with the test using a near-maximal stimulus of 1 u/kg GIH secretin. Measurement of peak bicarbonate output is probably the best diagnostic discriminant, and discrimination is not improved by expression of the results on a body weight basis.