Abstract
In six pigs the gastrin concentrations in the pancreaticoduodenal vein were slightly, but significantly, higher than in the carotid artery (p < 0.05). After instillation of meat extract into the duodenal pouches the gastrin concentrations in the pancreaticoduodenal vein increased significantly (p < 0.05), whereas the corresponding arterial concentrations remained almost unchanged. In four pigs the gastrin concentrations remained unchanged in the regional veins and equalled those in the carotid arteries after meat extract installation into jejunal and ileal pouches. Instillation of meat extract into duodenal pouches (three pigs), jejunal pouches (three pigs), and jejunal + ileal pouches (two pigs) caused substantial increase of gastrin concentrations in the regional antral veins (right gastroepiploic veins), whereas no increase was detected after instillation of meat extract into ileal pouches (three pigs). It is concluded that the duodenum in anaesthetized pigs releases gastrin, whereas neither the jejunum nor the ileum does. However, an antral release of gastrin may result from duodenal and jejunal protein meal stimulation. The mechanism of this duodeno- and jejunoantral release is still unknown.