Plasma cholecystokinin and pancreatic polypeptide responses after ingestion of a liquid test meal rich in medium-chain fatty acids in patients with chronic pancreatitis.

Plasma cholecystokinin (CCK) and human pancreatic polypeptide (hPP) responses after ingestion of a liquid test meal rich in medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) were studied in patients with chronic pancreatitis with or without diabetes mellitus (DM). Integrated response of plasma CCK was significantly lower in patients with chronic pancreatitis and DM than in the two other groups. There was no statistically significant difference between the healthy control subjects and the patients with chronic pancreatitis without DM in the integrated responses of hPP and plasma CCK. These results indicate that diabetic patients with a greatly destroyed pancreas do not release as much CCK as do nondiabetic patients with a mildly impaired pancreas. An MCFA meal is therefore considered safe in patients with a mildly impaired pancreas. For diabetic patients, however, care should be taken not to exacerbate the DM.