Total denervation of the pancreas does not alter the pancreatic polypeptide response to food intake.

The secretion of pancreatic polypeptide (PP) seems to be controlled by vagal cholinergic mechanisms, since both vagotomy and atropine significantly inhibit the PP response to food intake, sham feeding or insulin hypoglycaemia. In the present study, we examined the PP response to a meal after orthotopic autotransplantation of the pancreas. Completeness of vagal pancreatic denervation was confirmed by the missing response of pancreatic protein and the PP response to insulin hypoglycaemia. Total vagal denervation of the pancreas did not alter the PP response to a meal (peak PP levels 402 +/- 41 pg/ml before transplantation compared to 510 +/- 98 pg/ml after operation). The secretion of PP after food intake seems not to be mediated by direct vagal innervation of the pancreas itself. Since pancreatic autotransplantation results in an interruption of gastropancreatic or enteropancreatic neural reflexes, our results confirm the findings of Debas et al. [Surgery 92:309-313, 1982] and strongly suggest that the PP response to nutrient stimuli is mediated by a humoral mechanism.