Metal contents in duodenal aspirates of normal subjects during pancreozymin-secretin test.

The calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese concentrations in the duodenal aspirates obtained during pancreozymin-secretin tests were measured in 16 normal subjects. Total outputs of calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese during the 70 minute period (10 minutes after pancreozymin injection and 60 minutes after secretin injection) were 4.91 +/- 3.47 mg, 1.88 +/- 0.96 mg, 180 +/- 42 micrograms, 162 +/- 104 micrograms and 16.9 +/- 14.2 micrograms (mean +/- S.D.), respectively. The concentrations of metals were the highest in P fraction (during 10 minutes after pancreozymin injection) and the lowest is S3 fraction (during the 20-40 minute period after secretin injection). Although calcium, magnesium, copper and manganese concentrations varied widely from case to case especially in P fraction, zinc concentration exhibited comparatively small variation in every fraction. Magnesium, copper and manganese concentrations exhibited significant correlations with icterus indices of the aspirates. Zinc and magnesium concentrations correlated with amylase activity and magnesium concentration exhibited an inverse relation to bicarbonate concentration. Most metal concentrations correlated well each other, but there were no correlations between zinc and calcium and between zinc and manganese concentrations. Zinc seemed to be excreted mainly with pancreatic juice and copper and manganese mainly with bile.