Effects of high-lipase pancreatin on fecal fat, neutral sterol, bile acid, and short-chain fatty acid excretion in patients with pancreatic insufficiency resulting from chronic pancreatitis.
CONCLUSIONS
Steatorrhea was almost completely stopped and malabsorption of neutral sterols and short-chain fatty acids was reduced by treatment of high-lipase pancreatin in Japanese patients with pancreatic insufficiency whose dietary fat consumption is low.


METHODS
Fifteen patients with chronic pancreatitis complicated by steatorrhea who consumed an average of 48 g of dietary fats a day were selected as subjects and given 3 g of high-lipase pancreatin (lipase, 379,800 USP U/g), at each meal (total daily dose is 9 g) for a mean duration of 28.5 d. Fecal output and fecal fat neutral sterol, bile acid, and short-chain fatty acid excretion were determined before and after the course of pancreatin therapy.


RESULTS
Pancreatin administration resulted in significant reductions (P < 0.01) in fecal output (from 243.2 to 149.1 g), excretion of fecal fat, (from 12.3 to 3.9 g), animal sterols (from 816.3 to 604.6 mg), and short-chain fatty acids (from 52.6 to 18.5 mM). In contrast, no marked changes were recorded in fecal excretion of beta-sitosterol (a plant sterol), bile acids, or the hydroxy fatty acid fraction. Fecal fat and short-chain fatty-acid excretion showed strong correlations with fecal output.
Nakamura
T
T
3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Aomori, Japan.
Tandoh
Y
Y
Terada
A
A
Yamada
N
N
Watanabe
T
T
Kaji
A
A
Imamura
K
K
Kikuchi
H
H
Suda
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000032:analysis*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D010188:Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008049:Lipase / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010194:Pancreatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications*; D013261:Sterols / Q000032:analysis*
D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D005227:Fatty Acids; D008055:Lipids; D013261:Sterols; D010194:Pancreatin; D008049:Lipase