Microcannulation--a new micropuncture technique application in cat pancreas secretion.

A new micropuncture technique of microcannulation has been developed and applied in cats to study exocrine secretion in the pancreatic ducts. Two micropipets of different diameters are assembled with the smaller pipet (10-20 mum) mounted inside the larger (25-50 mum). Using the combination, a larger pancreatic duct (less than 300 mum) is directly punctured and the inner pipet is advanced into the lumen of a small (20-50 mum) duct, which would otherwise be inaccessible. In anesthetized cats, during maximal stimulation with secretin (GIH 4-6 units/kg per h iv) the average chloride concentration of juice obtained from small ducts (25-50 mum) was 106 +/- 3 meq/1 and from large ducts (50-150 mum) was 75 +/- 5 meq/1. The results were confirmed by conventional micropuncture techniques which were technically more difficult. This method to collect fluid from small ducts is more physiological than direct micropuncture and thus the technique is a useful addition to micropuncture methodology.