Human pancreas contains two cholinesterase isoenzymes: acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). In the present study, binding potency of two organophosphates for human cholinesterases were compared by the Ellman method. Echothiophate was found to have much greater potency than iso-OMPA for both cholinesterases. Using Karnovsky histochemical stains on human pancreatic tissue, the same results were confirmed. Dose-response studies with acetylcholine were done on viable pancreas fragments from nine human donors, without pancreatic disease (group I). Cold-preservation time was less than 30 h. Pancreas was minced into fragments, after the technique of Scheele and Palade, placed in Eagle's medium, and gassed with O2. Amylase release was measured by the Phadebas Method and corrected for basal release. There was a dose-dependent response to acetylcholine at 1 and 2 h, with a shift in peak amylase release to the left, when fragments were preincubated in 10(-4) M echothiophate. This indicated a 100-fold increase in sensitivity to acetylcholine. In three patients with chronic pancreatitis (Group II), there were variable patterns of response of amylase release to acetylcholine, and higher basal outputs. In Group III, prolonged storage conditions of over 40 h were tested for 4 pancreas donor tissues. There was no response to acetylcholine. These studies show that for up to 30 h cold storage, fragments of pancreas from human organ donors respond to acetylcholine in dose-dependent manner. An organophosphate, echothiophate (10(-4) M) which inhibits both cholinesterases, increases pancreatic sensitivity to acetylcholine, and these results are similar to findings from canine pancreas fragments, which also showed increased sensitivity.