Caerulein-induced desensitization of enzyme secretion fails in neonatal rat pancreas

Pancreatic segments of 1-, 3-, 5-, 10-day-old and adult female OFA (Sprague-Dowley strain) rats were superfused with graded concentrations of caerulein (10(-12)-10(-7) M) to establish concentration-response relation of amylase release. Furthermore, pancreatic segments of 3-, 5-, 10-day-old and adult rats were superfused with 10(-10) or 10(-8) M caerulein and then superfusion was repeated with 10(-10) M concentration of caerulein to show whether the phenomenon of desensitization of amylase release can be induced in the postnatal period. The 1-day-old pancreas was found practically insensitive to caerulein. The 3- and 5-day-old gland was by one order of magnitude less sensitive (EDmax = 10(-8) M) than the adult pancreas (EDmax = 10(-9) M). Repeated superfusion of the 3- and 5-day-old pancreas with 10(-10) M caerulein after the first 10(-8) M caerulein superfusion failed to cause desensitization, while the same (10(-10) M) repeated superfusion of the 10-day-old adult pancreatic segments after the first 10(-8) M caerulein superfusion evoked desensitization of enzyme release. The authors suggest that the failure of desensitization of enzyme secretion for caerulein may be due to the maturation process of newborn rat pancreatic acinar cells at receptorial and postreceptorial level.