Maximal effective dose of cerulein in the secretin-cerulein test.

In order to determine whether the doses of cerulein generally used in the secretin-cerulein test are supramaximal, the pancreatic secretion of enzymes and bicarbonate in response to intravenous infusion of cerulein plus secretin was studied in 6 subjects on two separate days at the respective doses of 50 ng/kg/h and 0.5 CU/kg/h on one day, and 100 ng/kg/h and 1 CU/kg/h on the other. In all subjects studied, the infusion of cerulein at the dose of 100 ng/kg/h caused a pancreatic enzyme response significantly higher than that produced by 50 ng/kg/h, demonstrating that the doses of cerulein generally used in clinical practice to explore the exocrine pancreatic function are not supramaximal.