Effect of alcohol on plasma secretin concentration and pancreatic secretion in dogs

We studied the effect of alcohol on plasma secretin concentration and pancreatic secretion in dogs with gastric cannulas and pancreatic fistulas. Intragastric administration of ethanol resulted in significant increases in pancreatic secretion of water and bicarbonate, which accompanied simultaneous increase in plasma secretin concentration. A more pronounced increase in pancreatic secretion occurred when ethanol was administered in the postprandial period. Integrated secretin release after a meal, 4.5 +/- 0.7 ng/ml-2 hr, had also increased significantly to 7.6 +/- 1.3 ng/ml-2 hr when ethanol was given in addition to a meal. Cimetidine pretreatment blocked the increase in plasma secretin concentration and pancreatic secretion in response to a meat meal and ethanol administration. This action of cimetidine paralleled its potent inhibitory effect on the exaggerated gastric acid secretion from Heidenhain pouches of dogs in response to ingestion of a meal and ethanol administration. Intraduodenal infusion of ethanol, however, failed to affect the plasma secretin concentration and pancreatic secretion. The present study indicates that alcohol stimulates release of endogenous secretin and pancreatic secretion by increasing duodenal acid load from the stomach stimulated by ethanol administration in dogs.