Growth and digestion in pancreatic duct ligated pigs. Effect of enzyme supplementation

The importance of pancreatic enzymes for the growth and performance of pigs was investigated by comparing control pigs with pigs made pancreatic exocr ine insufficient (P.I.), by ligation of the pancreatic duct, before and aft er enzyme supplementation. The studies were made in German Landrace and Got tingen minipigs chronically fitted with duodenal, jejunal and/or ileal T-fi stulae, or ileo-caecal re-entrant fistulae. Pancreatic duct ligation caused : complete pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, with retention of low, level "intestinal lipase" activity; complete cessation of growth; a lowering of d uodenal pH by 2-3 units but of ileal pH by only 0.5 units; a severe reducti on in total (T) and pre-caecal (P-C) digestibility and absorption of fat (T from 95.5 to 31.5, P-C from 95.2 to 43.0%) and protein (T from 89.9 to 56. 9, P-C from 79.1 to 27.3%) of a 30% fat, 15% protein diet; T of starch was >98% in all groups but P-C was reduced to 87.7 and 61.9% with a 25% and 54% starch diet respectively; a huge increase in the microbial content of the small and large intestine and compensatory increase in hindgut fermentation of undigested protein and carbohydrates; a net hindgut production of fat. Enzyme supplementation (Creon(R) 10,000 Minimicrospheres(TM), Solvay Pharma ceuticals GmbH, 8-24 capsules/meal) dose-dependently, partially/completely reversed most of these changes except hindgut production of fat. This last effect may be relevant to the clinical situation in some P.I. patients in w hom normalization of faecal fat excretion has proved very difficult.