A model for direct and quantitative assessment of pancreatic hormone secretion

The usual parameters for the assessment of pancreatic endocrine function are oral or intravenous tolerance tests with various kinds of stimuli, generally glucose. Such tests provide information as to the pancreatic endocrine capacity in an indirect fashion, and the actual hormone output cannot be readily determined. The results are presented of a model in dogs with which the hormone producing capacity of the left lobe of the pancreas can be quantitatively assessed directly. The complete and undiluted venous blood from the left pancreatic lobe is sampled by cannulation of the splenic and the portal vein, under general anaesthesia. Removal of the right lobe is obligatory. With this model pancreatic blood flow, hormone secretion, and oxygen consumption can be studied after different sorts of stimuli. Moreover there is opportunity to determine the effect of various manipulations of the pancreas on its hormone secreting capacity directly.