Effect of pancreatectomy on plasma activities of amylase, isoamylase, lipase and trypsin-like immunoreactivity in dogs.

The contribution of the pancreas to the plasma activities of amylase, isoamylase, lipase and the concentration of trypsin-like immunoreactivity (TLI) in the dog was examined by measuring the activities of these enzymes before and after total pancreatectomy. Pancreatectomy was followed by a decrease in the concentration of TLI (from 6.2 +/- 0.3 micrograms litre-1 to 1.2 +/- 0.3 micrograms litre-1; P less than 0.001) and activity of isoamylase peak 4 (from 1257 +/- 105 iu litre-1 to 894 +/- 171 iu litre-1; P less than 0.05). Though significantly reduced, the activities of peak 4 isoamylase were still within the normal range for control dogs. Pancreatectomy did not significantly alter the activities of amylase, lipase or isoamylase peaks 1, 2 and 3. These findings provide strong evidence that the pancreas is not the sole source of circulating amylase, isoamylase and lipase activities. In contrast the marked reductions in TLI to values close to the limits of assay sensitivity suggest that TLI is derived from the pancreas alone. The results indicate that assay of circulating TLI provides a more sensitive and specific indicator of pancreatic exocrine mass than plasma amylase, lipase or isoamylase activities.