Exocrine Secretion from the isolated Rabbit Pancreas

Abstract

STUDY of the mechanisms of secretion of the digestive glands has been handicapped by an inability to isolate the glands from the influence of variable control mechanisms such as blood flow, nervous factors and humoral agents. In the work recorded here it was possible to maintain pancreatic secretion in an in vitro preparation of rabbit pancreas for 5–6 h and to demonstrate ion concentration-flow relationships similar to those found in vivo. Adequate oxygenation of the organ is possible because the pancreas of the rabbit is nearly as thin as the surrounding mesentery (about 0.2 mm). It is entirely located within the mesomentum of the first duodenal loop. The collecting duct enters the duodenum completely separated from the common bile duct, and thus is easily identified and isolated.