Plasma insulin and glucose tolerance in pancreatectomized dogs after autologous partial pancreas transplantation. Loss of the insulinogenic reflex after oGTT and meal feeding.

A transplanted pancreas is not subjected to the influence of external innervation. It can therefore be used to study the mechanism governing the early phase of insulin secretion after oral glucose intake or meals, which is independent of any absorption causing increase in the plasma glucose level. Three totally pancreatectomized dogs had the proc. lienalis of the pancreases (35% of the total pancreas weight) transplanted autologously into the abdominal cavity. Later extirpation of the transplant showed that the transplant had been the only organ secreting insulin in the animals. The transplanted dogs had normal basal plasma glucose and IRI concentrations, a reduced IRI reaction and glucose tolerance after i.v. glucose application. The early reflex increase in IRI concentration after oral glucose intake or meal feeding was observed in all control animals but not, in contrast, in the transplanted animals. The authors conclude that the early insulin secretion phase is entirely due to nerval influences.