Figure 1. Effects of chronic decerebration on pancreatic secretion in conscious rats.

Chronic decerebration induced a decrease in basal pancreatic enzyme secretion from 318 ± 12 to 233 ± 9 mg h⁻¹ and a reduction in pancreatic secretion stimulated by intraduodenal infusion of 5 % peptone (A) and hypertonic NaCl (B) by 54 % and 45 %, respectively. C, cumulative net increase in pancreatic protein output (i.e. the sum of protein output during the final 30 min of intestinal infusion of peptone or hypertonic NaCl minus basal output in sham-operated and decerebrate rats). These observations indicate that the forebrain plays an important role in maintaining basal pancreatic secretion and in modulating vagal afferent-stimulated pancreatic secretion. Values are means ± S.E.M. for 4 sham-operated and 6 decerebrate rats. *P < 0.05 compared with sham operation.