Pancreatic size and enzyme contents after vagal deafferentation in jejunectomised pigs under free or restricted feeding.

A factorial experiment was designed to test under different feeding levels the effects of the surgical deprivation of sensory afferences (deafferentation) arising from the gastrointestinal tract, including the intestinal chemosensitivity, on the jejunectomised pig used as a model. Within 28 days, the limited jejunectomy failed to affect the pancreas and the enzyme activities were not affected by the feeding level (within the limit of 70% of ad libitum). It was shown that the deafferentation induced significant reductions in the pancreatic tissue mass and in the various enzyme activities, thus suggesting the possible importance of intestinal sensibility for the pancreas.