AJP - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Vol 254, Issue 6 878-G882, Copyright © 1988 by American Physiological Society
Amylase secretion by parotid glands and pancreas of diabetic rats during feeding
M. Kurahashi and K. Inomata
Department of Oral Physiology, School of Dentistry, Higashi-Nippon-Gakuen University, Hokkaido, Japan.
Parotid and pancreatic amylase secretion into the gastrointestinal tract
during feeding was investigated in diabetic rats. In control rats, both
parotid and pancreatic amylase activity decreased after feeding, while the
amylase activity present in the gastric and small intestinal contents
increased. In diabetic rats, parotid amylase activity, although reduced
from control levels, decreased after feeding, and amylase activity of the
parotid type appeared in the gastric content. Amylase activities in the
diabetic pancreas and small intestinal contents at fasting were markedly
reduced and did not show appreciable change with feeding. The total amylase
activity in the small intestinal contents after feeding was markedly
reduced in the diabetic rats, whereas the ratio of parotid to pancreatic
amylase was markedly increased. These results suggest that the amylase
secreted from the parotid glands into the gastrointestinal tract during
feeding acts not only in the mouth and stomach but also in the small
intestine of diabetic rats.
