We investigated the effect of intraduodenal administration of oligopeptide and a mixed amino acid solution, which contains the same amino acid composition as oligopeptide, on pancreatic exocrine secretion and the release of secretin and cholecystokinin (CCK). Anesthetized rats were prepared with pyloric ligation and cannulation of pancreatic duct and bile duct. Protein derivatives in three different doses (oligopeptide: 25, 100, and 400 mg/h; and mixed amino acid solution: 70, 140, and 280 mg/h, pH 7.0) were infused into the duodenum for 1 h. Pancreatic juice was collected, and plasma concentrations of secretin and CCK were measured by radioimmunoassay. In addition, the effect of intravenous injection of an antisecretin serum or a CCK antagonist, loxiglumide, on pancreatic secretion stimulated by oligopeptide or mixed amino acid solution was also studied. Oligopeptide produced a significant dose-related increase in pancreatic secretion including volume, HCO3-, amylase, and trypsin output, plasma secretin (r = 0.792, P < 0.001), and plasma CCK (r = 0.421, P < 0.01). Similarly, mixed amino acid solution produced a dose-related increase in pancreatic juice volume, HCO3-, amylase, and trypsin output. Compared with CCK, the percentage increase in plasma secretin was 7.3x and 2.8x higher in response to oligopeptide (400 mg/h) and mixed amino acid solution (280 mg/h), respectively. An antisecretin serum almost completely inhibited volume flow and HCO3- output stimulated by oligopeptide as well as mixed amino acid solution, but not amylase and trypsin output. In contrast, loxiglumide significantly suppressed amylase and trypsin output stimulated by protein derivatives, but did not affect volume flow or HCO3- output.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)