Glucose Metabolism and Protein Secretion in Pancreatic Slices of Normal, Thiamine-Deficient and Pair-Fed Control Rats

The exocrine and endocrine functions of pancreas involving protein biosynthesis and secretion are energy-dependent processes which need glucose metabolism. It has been observed in this laboratory that thiamine deficiency in rats not only raises the levels of digestive enzymes in pancreatic tissue but also enhances their secretion in vitro when incubated in a medium containing glucose. It was therefore considered interesting to find out how glucose metabolism is related to the protein production and secretion in this tissue and the present study was taken up. The results of the study show that the incorporation of ¹⁴C of glucose-U ¹⁴C into carbondioxide, pyruvate and secretory proteins are increased in pancreatic slices of thiamine-deficient rats as compared to that of normal and pair-fed controls.