The influence of lipids on exocrine pancreatic secretions in pigs - Review

The characteristics of the exocrine pancreatic secretions in pigs and its hormonal regulation as influenced by dietary lipids are reviewed. There is clear evidence that the secretion of lipolytic enzymes is positively correlated with the amount of fat consumed by the pig. For example, there was an increase in the specific lipase activity by 83% after the dietary fat content was increased from 5% to 25%. Moreover, it was shown that also the quality of fat has an influence on exocrine pancreatic secretions. Peroxidized canola oil stimulated total lipase secretion much more than non-peroxidized oil. The influence of fatty acid composition on exocrine pancreatic secretions is discussed equivocally. Some authors showed that saturated fats stimulated the exocrine pancreatic secretions more than unsaturated. Others showed that the chain length of fatty acids had a strong influence on pancreatic secretions as well. Due to the different surgical methods used for sampling of pancreatic juice and wide variety of fats and oils used in these studies, direct comparisons between studies are extremely difficult to make. Plasma levels of hormones such as cholecystokinin (CCK), neurotensin (NT) and peptide YY (PYY) are influenced by the nutrient composition of the diet. With increasing amounts of fat present in the small intestine, the release of these hormones was stimulated. There is evidence that CCK release is dependent on the chain length of the fatty acids. Medium chain triglycerides stimulated the CCK release more than long chain triglycerides. Neurotensin was released more by unsaturated than by saturated fatty acids; similar results were observed for the PYY release. However, results are contradictory and further investigations are warranted that focus on the underlying mechanisms involved in the regulatory response of the exocrine pancreas to lipids of different origin.