Geranyl-geranyl acetone: a novel stimulant of secretin release in the dog

Geranyl-geranyl acetone (GGA), a new acyclic polyisoprenoid, anti-ulcer drug appears to exert its beneficial effect by stimulating bicarbonate secretion from the stomach and pancreas. Its efficacy in stimulating pancreatic bicarbonate is particularly striking, and this study was designed to examine the mechanism for this action. Since it is structurally similar to the side chain of the prostaglandin molecule, its ability to stimulate bicarbonate secretion could be a direct one. On the other hand, the magnitude of pancreatic bicarbonate response (about 50% of maximal response to secretin) suggests it might act by releasing secretin. Two types of experiments were performed in dogs with pancreatic fistulas: first, secretagogue interactions were examined by studying the effect of intraduodenal GGA (8 mg/kg) or its carrier (control) on the dose-response curves to exogenous secretin and cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8); second, the effect of graded doses of intraduodenal GGA on pancreatic bicarbonate and plasma secretin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) responses was tested directly. Pancreatic bicarbonate responses (micromoles per 30 min) were to secretin doses of 32, 125, and 500 ng/kg/h. Without and with GGA, responses were 74 +/- 27, 952 +/- 215, and 2,000 +/- 425 and 599 +/- 110, 1,624 +/- 472, and 2,129 +/- 398 ng/kg/h, respectively. Similarly, the bicarbonate responses to CCK-8 were augmented. Basal plasma SLI was 1.5 +/- 0.6 pM/ml. Peak plasma SLI in response to 2, 4, and 8 mg of GGA intraduodenally were 6.8 +/- 0.7, 8.9 +/- 3.1, and 19.6 +/- 2.7 pM/ml, respectively. It is concluded that GGA is a potent stimulant of pancreatic bicarbonate secretion, and this action appears to be mediated by the release of duodenal secretin.