Compensation of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency during its partial, subtotal and total resection

Chronic experiments on dogs have shown that the damage of extra-secretory pancreatic function by duct ligation caused marked compensatory changes of stomach function. The increase in gastric juice secretion and gastric juice proteolytic activity was accompanied by the reduction in its acidity. In addition to quantitative changes, qualitative shifts were revealed (amylolytic activity in strongly acid pH-reaction), never observed in the gastric juice of intact animals. Partial pancreas resection (up to 75%) both in control and test animals 10-14 months after pancreatic duct ligation was not accompanied by significant changes in gastric juice secretion. Total pancreas resection in dogs with previous pancreatic duct ligation caused neither prompt animal death, as in the control, nor the inhibition of compensatory reactions of gastric juice secretion.