Effect of glycolysis on pancreatic microcirculation and cellular functions in anesthetized rats

It has been reported that aerobic glycolysis in the pancreas contributes less than 10% to oxidative phosphorylation based on in vitro experiments using pancreatic tissue segments. However, its contribution to aerobic glycolysis in vivo remains uncertain. We investigated the effect of inhibiting glycolysis on O2 metabolism in microvessels, exocrine enzyme secretion, and the blood glucose level in the pancreas of anesthetized rats in vivo. Inhibition of glycolysis, by superfusing the pancreas of anesthetized rats with 2-deoxyglucose (10 mM) or sodium fluoride (2 mM), significantly decreased O2 release from erythrocytes flowing in the microvessels by 30-40%. Inhibiting glycolysis did not affect the exocrine secretion of pancreatic juice but decreased the secretion of total protein by approximately or = to 40%. Inhibiting glycolysis decreased blood glucose levels by approximately or = to 40% and increased glucagon release twofold. Aerobic glycolysis may play more important roles in the regulation of O2, metabolism, pancreatic exocrine enzyme secretion and the blood glucose level in rat pancreas.