[Calcium secretion "in vivo" by mouse exocrine pancreas. Relationship with enzymatic output]

Calcium secretion and chymotrypsin (CHT) outputs in pancreatic juice from mice were studied "in vivo". Pancreatic juice was collected after stimulation with secretin 32 mU/g. Secretin 32 mU/g plus cholecystokinin 16 mU/g (CCK) or secretin 32 mU/g plus bethanechol 0.2 ug/g. Calcium and CHT outputs were lower in mice treated with secretin alone than in those treated either with secretin plus CCK or with secretin plus bethanechol. Bethanechol or CCK addition to secretin produced a positive correlation between both parameters. Extrapolation of the regression line correlating calcium and CHT outputs indicates that at zero CHT output pancreatic juice contains calcium. These results suggest that calcium in mice pancreatic juice is produced by two different sources.