Lack of adaptive changes in human pancreatic amylase and lipase secretion in response to high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet applied by a 10-day continuous intraduodenal infusion.

In order to investigate whether the human exocrine pancreas is capable of adapting to a diet with a high-carbohydrate, low-fat, and normal protein content, 10 healthy subjects were given a continuous intraduodenal infusion of such a dietary composition (8760 kJ in 2400 ml/day) via a portable infusion pump over a period of 10 days. The diet consisted of 76% of calories as carbohydrates (80% oligosaccharides, 20% mono- and disaccharides), 10% as fat (more than 90% C18 fatty acids) and 14% as protein (oligo- and polypeptides; 11.8 g nitrogen per day). A complete pancreozymin-secretin test was carried out before and after the experimental period. The results show that the above dietary regimen leads to a significant (P less than 0.05) increase in the stimulated secretion rates of trypsin and chymotrypsin, whereas, in contrast to the findings in animal experiments, no change could be measured in the secretion rates of amylase and lipase.