Abstract

The neuropeptide galanin is present in intrapancreatic nerve fibers and is known to affect the secretion of the islet hormones. Its most potent effect is thereby the inhibition of insulin secretion. In the present study, we investigated whether galanin influences amylase secretion from isolated rat pancreatic acini. Acini were isolated by the collagenase digestion technique and incubated for 45 min in a Krebs-Henseleit medium with or without addition of the cholinergic agonist carbachol or the C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin (CCK-8) in the presence or absence of galanin. Carbachol, at its optimal concentration (10(-5) M), stimulated amylase secretion to 11.8 +/- 0.5% of total amylase content compared to 4.3 +/- 0.3% in controls (p less than 0.001). Galanin, (10(-8)-10(-9) M), reduced the carbachol-induced amylase secretion to 10.4 +/- 0.3% (p less than 0.01). Galanin at concentration levels below 10(-10) M had no significant effect. At 10(-8) M, CCK-8 stimulated amylase secretion to 9.7 +/- 0.6% compared with 5.2 +/- 0.3% in controls (p less than 0.01). Galanin (10(-7) M) reduced this stimulation to 8.0 +/- 0.4% (p less than 0.05). Galanin did not affect basal amylase secretion. It is concluded that the intrapancreatic neuropeptide galanin weakly inhibits carbachol- and CCK-8-induced amylase secretion from isolated rat pancreatic acini. Thus, galanin has the capability to directly affect not only endocrine but also exocrine pancreatic secretion although its effect of inhibiting amylase secretion seems weak.